US pans Israel for advancing first new West Bank settlement since 2017

The US lambasts Israel for advancing the first new settlement from scratch since 2017.

The Defense Ministry office controlled by far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich has designated a plot of land for a new community southwest of Jerusalem and west of Bethlehem.

“This administration has spoken out against Israeli actions that undermine territorial continuity for a future Palestinian state, something like this would certainly be that,” US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel says during a press briefing.

“Every single one of these new settlements would impede Palestinian economic development and freedom of movement and undermine the feasibility of a two-state solution.”

“The Israeli government settlement program [is] inconsistent with international law. We oppose the advancement of settlements in the West Bank, and this would certainly be an example of that,” Patel adds.