US: White House 'deeply dismayed' by Israeli plans to expand settlements

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Karine Jean-Pierre, White House spokeswoman

PHOTO: LEAH MILLIS / REUTERS

The USA reacted with clear words to the announcement by Israel's right-wing religious government to expand settlement construction in the occupied West Bank.

"We are deeply dismayed by the Israeli announcement," the White House in Washington said on Thursday.

The government of US President Joe Biden is sticking to its "decisive rejection of settlement expansion," said spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.

The right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel announced on Sunday that it would subsequently legalize nine settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The security cabinet was responding to several attacks in East Jerusalem, it said.

In addition, Netanyahu's government announced a meeting of the Defense Ministry's civilian administration in the West Bank to approve the construction of new housing in existing settlements there.

The AFP news agency was able to see the draft of a UN resolution calling on Israel to stop settlements "immediately and completely".

The UN Security Council, the most important body of the United Nations, is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss the situation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

According to information from diplomatic circles, however, it is still unclear whether the draft will be put to the vote.

Violence in the region has been escalating for weeks

US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said a UN resolution would be "not helpful" in advancing negotiations on a two-state solution, without threatening to veto it.

"Similarly, we believe the news from Israel on Sunday was unhelpful."

2.8 million Palestinians and 475,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, which has been occupied since 1967.

In addition to official settlements, there are also so-called "wild" settlements that were built without the permission of the Israeli government.

The UN classifies all settlements as contrary to international law.

Violence between Israelis and Palestinians has been escalating for weeks.

Three people were killed in an attack on a bus stop in a settler neighborhood in east Jerusalem last week.

At the end of January, a Palestinian killed seven people in an attack on a synagogue in east Jerusalem.

Ten Palestinians were killed in a raid by the Israeli army on a refugee camp in the West Bank.

jok/AFP