US Condemns Israeli Settlement Plans in West Bank

The US has expressed its opposition to Israeli settlement policies, condemning a new Israeli law that allows the restoration of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. The State Department spokesperson called the law "provocative and counterproductive" and urged Israel to refrain from returning settlers to the area. The US also denounced recent comments by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who claimed that the Palestinian people are "an invention" of the past century. The US has been criticised for failing to take practical measures against Smotrich, who made similar remarks in March.