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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