The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem says it will provide on-site passport and consular services to settlers based in the West Bank on Friday 27 February. The move marks the first time American consular officials have offered such services to settlers, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.
The services will be in the settlement of Efrat, south of Bethlehem, where many American-Israeli immigrants live, according to officials in a post on X. Similar services are planned for Ramallah, and cities outside of the West Bank, including Haifa.
Last week, Israel’s cabinet approved steps to expand its control over the West Bank making it easier for settlers to seize land, a move Palestinians described as a “de facto annexation.”
While U.S. President Donald Trump opposes formal annexation despite being a staunch supporter of Israel, his administration has taken no steps to curb settlement expansion, which rights groups say has increased since he took office.
Most of the West Bank remains under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-rule in areas overseen by the Palestinian Authority.
Israel disputes claims that the settlements are illegal under international law. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, which draws significant support from settlement communities, includes members advocating for the annexation of land captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, which is also home to three million Palestinians.
Palestinians have long sought the West Bank for a future independent state, alongside Gaza and East Jerusalem.
The United Nations designates the West Bank as occupied because it was captured by Israeli forces during a six-day war in 1967 and it remains under its authority. The West Bank is also subject to the fourth Geneva Convention which governs the treatment of civilians in occupied terriroties.
The UN Security Council states that the establishment of Israeli settlers in the West Bank is a "flagrant violation of international law" and has no legal validity.
Israel strongly disputes these claims.
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Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran mediated by Qatar in Doha have concluded, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi has said.
A Russian couple climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and unfurled a banner urging world peace before, in an apparent elaborate marriage proposal that ended with their arrests.
On 1 July, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Azerbaijan on a working visit.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway this week in a landmark tour of the Nordic region that reflects Beijing's efforts to strengthen ties with Europe at a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty.
Iranian and U.S. negotiating teams were due in Doha this week, but Iran said on Monday no meeting had been scheduled as weekend missile fire from both sides tested the interim ceasefire to end the four-month-old war.
Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran mediated by Qatar in Doha have concluded, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi has said.
Mexico ended their 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout win, while Erling Haaland sent Norway through and Kylian Mbappé fired France into the last 16.
The wife and children of Argentine footballer Lucas Trejo were among around 1,700 people who died when two earthquakes struck northern Venezuela last week.
Morocco held their nerve to beat the Netherlands on penalties after a dramatic late equaliser, Gabriel Martinelli spared Brazil's blushes with a stoppage-time winner against Japan, while Paraguay stunned Germany in the tournament's biggest shock to reach the World Cup last 16.
Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran mediated by Qatar in Doha have concluded, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi has said.
On 1 July, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Azerbaijan on a working visit.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that unexploded ordnance remains a deadly threat across Afghanistan, with children accounting for around 80% of victims and about 50 people being killed or injured each month.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has confirmed neighbouring Iraq will hold a funeral procession next week for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, as preparations intensify for week-long ceremonies after the 86-year-old was killed in Israeli–U.S. air raids in February.
CSTO Secretary General Taalatbek Masadykov has inspected security along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border as the regional bloc continues a long-term programme to strengthen one of Central Asia's most strategically important frontiers.
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