(VOVWORLD) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday criticized a decision by Israel’s government to recognize at least nine settlements in the West Bank as part of Israel, saying such a move worsens tensions with the Palestinians.
 Giv'at Ze'ev, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, five kilometers northwest of Jerusalem. (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
Blinken, in a statement, said authorizing such settlements exacerbate tensions and undermine the prospects for a negotiated two-state solution.
He said that the US is deeply troubled by Israel’s decision to advance reportedly nearly 10,000 settlement units and to begin a process to retroactively legalize nine outposts in the West Bank that were previously illegal under Israeli law.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Israeli government’s decision constitutes a flagrant violation of UN Security Council resolutions and the rules of international law.