The United States said on Tuesday (October 26th) that it was "
deeply concerned
" by Israel's announcement of the construction of more than 1,000 new homes in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
"
We are deeply concerned about the Israeli government's plan,
" US diplomacy spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
Read alsoIsrael considers some settlements illegal
"
We strongly oppose the expansion of settlements, which is totally contrary to efforts to lower tensions and guarantee calm, and which undermines the prospects for a two-state solution
" Israeli and Palestinian, added Ned Price. "
We also believe that any effort to retroactively legalize illegal settlements is unacceptable,
" he continued, assuring that senior American officials had communicated these positions "
directly
" to their Israeli counterparts.
This is one of the strongest positions taken by the United States on Israeli colonization in the Palestinian territories since the arrival of President Joe Biden to the White House earlier this year.
His predecessor Donald Trump had adopted a more understanding position.
Its Secretary of State Mike Pompeo even modified American doctrine in 2019, saying that Washington no longer considered the settlements as contrary to international law, a decision celebrated by Israel but denounced by the Palestinians.
