Israel informed President Joe Biden's administration that it will build thousands of new housing units in the occupied West Bank, Axios reported.
The Biden administration previously said it would oppose any new settlements by Israel in the area, saying it undermines the hopes for a two-state solution for the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Haaretz previously reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had shelved the plans for the controversial housing project due to widespread international criticism of the plan, which would have split the northern and southern parts of the West Bank.
However, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, during a press conference on Monday, defended the project, saying: "We will have big news for the settlements in the West Bank imminently."
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council referred Axios to the Israeli government when contacted for comment while adding that the U.S. "has been clear that advancing settlements is an obstacle to peace and the achievement of a two-state solution.”
A spokesperson for the State Department said it is "critical for all parties to uphold the commitments made at regional meetings in Aqaba and Sharm El Sheikh to avoid measures that undermine the prospects for a two-state solution.”
Netanyahu's office did not respond to requests for comment from Axios.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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