US 'deeply troubled' by Israeli settlement expansion

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US is "deeply troubled" by Israel's decision to dramatically expand its network of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday.

Israel's government on Sunday moved to advance 10,000 new settlement homes in the West Bank, and began the process to retroactively legalize nine settler outposts that were previously illegal under Israeli law.

The top US diplomat said the Biden administration "strongly" opposes the "unilateral measures," which he said "exacerbate tensions and undermine the prospects for a negotiated two-state solution."

"Anything that takes us away from the vision of two states for two peoples is detrimental to Israel’s long-term security, its identity as a Jewish and democratic state, and to our vision of equal measures of security, freedom, prosperity, and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians alike," he said in a statement.

"We call on all parties to avoid additional actions that can further escalate tensions in the region and to take practical steps that can improve the well-being of the Palestinian people," he added.

UN estimates indicate nearly 700,000 settlers are living in a sprawling network of settlements and outposts across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal, and the UN has said their expansion "tramples" on human rights law.

The settlements are built on lands the Palestinians are seeking for their future state.