US: Israel's move to legitimise West Bank settlements ‘dangerous and reckless’

Israel’s efforts to legitimise dozens of settlement sites in the Israeli-occupied West Bank would be “dangerous and reckless”, the US State Department said yesterday.

“These reports about directives to support illegal outposts in the West Bank, we believe that to be dangerous and reckless. Our policy, US policy, remains that settlements are counterproductive to the cause of peace and the Government of Israel’s program is inconsistent with international law,” US deputy spokesperson Fadente Patel stated during the State Department’s press briefing.

“And we’ll continue to urge Israeli officials to refrain from taking actions to fund outposts that have long been illegal under Israeli law. Actions or announcements seeking to expand outposts will only move the goal of peace and stability in the region further away,” he added.

This comes after Israeli media reported over the weekend that far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is pushing for the legalisation of 68 illegal outposts in the West Bank. This would mark one of the most significant settlement expansions in decades.

The US official also noted that Washington is “continuing to press the Government of Israel for more information” regarding reports of mass graves that have recently been found in the Gaza Strip.

READ: Norway alarmed over renewed illegal Israeli settlers’ violence in West Bank