Israel on Sunday advanced plans for 780 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank, settlement watchdog Peace Now said, adding the move puts Israel "on a collision course" with the incoming US administration.&nbsp;

Right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had last week directed authorities to approve construction of the units in occupied Palestinian territories.&nbsp;

That came less than two weeks before President Donald Trump's pro-settler administration was due to leave office.&nbsp;

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All Jewish settlements in the West Bank are regarded as illegal by much of the international community.&nbsp;

But Trump's administration, breaking with decades of US policy, declared in 2019 that Washington no longer considered settlements as being in breach of international law.&nbsp;

US President-elect Joe Biden, who will be sworn on Wednesday, has indicated that his administration will restore Washington's pre-Trump policy of opposing settlement expansion.

Peace Now, an Israeli civil society group that opposes the occupation, said that Israeli planning authorities had approved "plans to build 780 housing units in settlements, most of them deep in the West Bank."

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"Not only will this settlement activity erode the possibility for a conflict-ending resolution with the Palestinians in the long-term, but in the short-term it needlessly sets Israel on a collision course with the incoming Biden administration," the group said.&nbsp;

Beyond the change in Washington, experts say Netanyahu also has domestic political reasons for pushing settlement expansion.&nbsp;

Electioneering is intensifying ahead of Israel's March 23 poll, in which Netanyahu is expected to face a fierce right-wing challenge from Gideon Saar, a defector from the premier's Likud party.&nbsp;

Saar, a prominent pro-settler voice, split with Likud late last year to challenge Netanyahu, Israel's longest serving premier.&nbsp;

"Prime Minister Netanyahu is once again putting his personal political interests over those of the country," Peace Now said.&nbsp;

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six Day War.&nbsp;

Following years of settlement expansion, there currently some 450,000 Jews living in the West Bank amid an estimated 2.8 million Palestinians.

Governments worldwide largely see settlements as an obstacle to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.&nbsp;

Israel on Sunday advanced plans for 780 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank, settlement watchdog Peace Now said, adding the move puts Israel "on a collision course" with the incoming US administration.

Israel on Sunday advanced plans for 780 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank, settlement watchdog Peace Now said, adding the move puts Israel "on a collision course" with the incoming US administration. Right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had last week directed authorities to approve construction of the units in occupied Palestinian territories. That came less than two weeks before President Donald Trump's pro-settler administration was due to leave office. Also read| Israel Prison Service to vaccinate Palestinian inmates All Jewish settlements in the West Bank are regarded as illegal by much of the international community. But Trump's administration, breaking with decades of US policy, declared in 2019 that Washington no longer considered settlements as being in breach of international law. US President-elect Joe Biden, who will be sworn on Wednesday, has indicated that his administration will restore Washington's pre-Trump policy of opposing settlement expansion. Peace Now, an Israeli civil society group that opposes the occupation, said that Israeli planning authorities had approved "plans to build 780 housing units in settlements, most of them deep in the West Bank." Also read| 13 in Israel experience facial paralysis after receiving Covid-19 vaccine: Report "Not only will this settlement activity erode the possibility for a conflict-ending resolution with the Palestinians in the long-term, but in the short-term it needlessly sets Israel on a collision course with the incoming Biden administration," the group said. Beyond the change in Washington, experts say Netanyahu also has domestic political reasons for pushing settlement expansion. Electioneering is intensifying ahead of Israel's March 23 poll, in which Netanyahu is expected to face a fierce right-wing challenge from Gideon Saar, a defector from the premier's Likud party. Saar, a prominent pro-settler voice, split with Likud late last year to challenge Netanyahu, Israel's longest serving premier. "Prime Minister Netanyahu is once again putting his personal political interests over those of the country," Peace Now said. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six Day War. Following years of settlement expansion, there currently some 450,000 Jews living in the West Bank amid an estimated 2.8 million Palestinians. Governments worldwide largely see settlements as an obstacle to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel authorities approve new W. Bank settler homes: Group

Ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/protest-in-israel-against-netanyahu-amid-third-coronavirus-lockdown-355733">Netanyahu</a> directed authorities to approve construction of 800 new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/israel-firm-helps-gaza-strip-residents-amidst-worsening-water-crisis-354711/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The new settlements will take place in Judea and Samaria. Netanyahu's announcement comes as the country gets set to go to the polls on March 23 with the prime minister facing a strong right-wing challenge from pro-settler candidate Gideon Saar.

Saar in a statement said Netanyahu and Gantz should "rise above the disputes and regulate the status of these communities".

The Israeli PM's office had said earlier that 100 of the new units were to be built in the Tal Menashe settlement.

Palestinians, however, condemned the move as "illegal". Most countries view Israeli settlements as violating international law. According to reports, there are nearly 450,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank who are living along with &nbsp;2.8 million Palestinians.

The outgoing Trump administration has given its support to settler group with its top diplomat Pompeo visiting the settlement in the West Bank in November.

The US government had earlier recognised the Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moved its embassy there angering Palestinians.

"The Israeli settlements tenders are illegal and his announcement today about the new 800 colonial units escalate the aggression towards the Palestinians, we consider all settlements illegal," Wasel Abu Youssef, member of the executive committee of the PLO, said.

The latest move by the Israeli PM is being closely watched by president-elect Joe Biden who has been critical of Netanyahu's settlement policies and has indicated he might reserve Trump's US policy on West Bank. 
&nbsp;

Ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed authorities to approve construction of 800 new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed authorities to approve construction of 800 new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. Watch: The new settlements will take place in Judea and Samaria. Netanyahu's announcement comes as the country gets set to go to the polls on March 23 with the prime minister facing a strong right-wing challenge from pro-settler candidate Gideon Saar. Saar in a statement said Netanyahu and Gantz should "rise above the disputes and regulate the status of these communities". The Israeli PM's office had said earlier that 100 of the new units were to be built in the Tal Menashe settlement. Palestinians, however, condemned the move as "illegal". Most countries view Israeli settlements as violating international law. According to reports, there are nearly 450,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank who are living along with 2.8 million Palestinians. The outgoing Trump administration has given its support to settler group with its top diplomat Pompeo visiting the settlement in the West Bank in November. The US government had earlier recognised the Jerusalem as Israel's capital and moved its embassy there angering Palestinians. "The Israeli settlements tenders are illegal and his announcement today about the new 800 colonial units escalate the aggression towards the Palestinians, we consider all settlements illegal," Wasel Abu Youssef, member of the executive committee of the PLO, said. The latest move by the Israeli PM is being closely watched by president-elect Joe Biden who has been critical of Netanyahu's settlement policies and has indicated he might reserve Trump's US policy on West Bank.

Ahead of Biden's inauguration, Netanyahu authorises new Israeli settlements in West Bank

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the construction of 800 Jewish houses in the West Bank. The project has been given a go-ahead during the final days of Donald Trump administration.

In Donald Trump's final days of presidency, Netanyahu orders more settler homes built | West Bank

Netanyahu orders construction of 800 more settlements in disputed West Bank

After a years-long effort to remove landmines near where Christians believe Jesus was baptized, Fransciscan friars marked the Epiphany holiday on Sunday (January 10) by visiting a Jordan River shrine that had been marooned for over 50 years.

Mine-free River Jordan shrine ends 50 year wait for Epiphany

Drone view on Wednesday (January 6) showed Bethlehem, known as the birthplace of Jesus, waking up to a near-deserted Manger Square at dawn on Orthodox Christmas Eve.

Drone over Nativity Church on Orthodox Christmas

An Israeli security officer shot a Palestinian who threw a knife towards him in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Israel`s military said, and Palestinian officials said the man had been killed.

The incident occurred at a road junction situated near a cluster of Israeli settlements southwest of the Palestinian town of Bethlehem, the military said in a statement.

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"(A) community security officer spotted a suspect approaching the junction. Following the suspicion, the security officer and an IDF (Israeli military) soldier operated to stop the suspect by firing into the air," the statement said.

"The suspect threw a knife at the officer, who responded with fire and neutralised the suspect," the statement added.

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The Palestinian health ministry confirmed the man`s death, but said it did not have details of his identity.

Israel captured and occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East War. Palestinians seek the territory for a future state that would include the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

An Israeli security officer shot a Palestinian who threw a knife towards him in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Israel`s military said, and Palestinian officials said the man had been killed.

An Israeli security officer shot a Palestinian who threw a knife towards him in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Israel`s military said, and Palestinian officials said the man had been killed. The incident occurred at a road junction situated near a cluster of Israeli settlements southwest of the Palestinian town of Bethlehem, the military said in a statement. Also read| Iran's allegations are 'nonsense', says Israeli minister "(A) community security officer spotted a suspect approaching the junction. Following the suspicion, the security officer and an IDF (Israeli military) soldier operated to stop the suspect by firing into the air," the statement said. "The suspect threw a knife at the officer, who responded with fire and neutralised the suspect," the statement added. Also read| How Israel became a world leader in vaccinating against COVID-19 The Palestinian health ministry confirmed the man`s death, but said it did not have details of his identity. Israel captured and occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East War. Palestinians seek the territory for a future state that would include the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

Israeli officer shoots dead alleged Palestinian assailant in West Bank

Palestinian Layan al-Dweik, 12, started taking horseback riding sessions to improve her posture after a spinal tumour left her paralysed from the waist down. But the riding sessions have done more than that. They have helped her gain some sensation in her limbs, according to instructor Hani al-Natsheh and her father.

Palestinian turns to therapeutic horseback riding in search of rehabilitation

Israel has released more than $1 billion in funds withheld from the Palestinian Authority, a Palestinian minister said Wednesday, weeks after coordination was renewed between the two sides.

Hussein al-Sheikh, a close aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, confirmed the receipt of nearly 3.8 billion shekels (around $1.1 billion) from Israel.

&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Israeli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Israeli</a> government transfers all financial dues of the clearance to the account of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Palestinian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Palestinian</a> Authority, amounting to three billion and 768 million shekels. <a href="https://t.co/TK9vueVzRW">https://t.co/TK9vueVzRW</a>
— حسين الشيخ Hussein Al Sheikh (@HusseinSheikhpl) <a href="https://twitter.com/HusseinSheikhpl/status/1334056982043643904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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In May, the Palestinians stopped coordination with Israel, with PA leader Mahmud Abbas saying it was in response to Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank.

Israel later put its annexation plans on hold, in return for an agreement to normalise ties with the United Arab Emirates, announced in August.

In halting the cooperation with Israel, the PA also stopped accepting transfer of taxes,&nbsp;particularly customs duties,&nbsp;collected by Israel on its behalf.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/seeking-restart-with-biden-palestinians-eye-end-to-prisoner-payments-344402">Seeking restart with Biden, Palestinians eye end to prisoner payments</a>

The Palestinians resumed contacts with Israel last month following President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the US&nbsp;Election. Biden is opposed to annexation and has promised a more evenhanded approach to the conflict.

The taxes are a key source of revenue for the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It was forced to cut the salaries it pays to tens of thousands of civil servants, worsening an economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Israel's Finance Ministry said the funds were transferred following the approval of the Israeli Security Cabinet last month.

Israel said it would deduct an amount equal to what the Palestinian Authority pays to the families of prisoners and those killed in the conflict, including militants implicated in attacks that killed Israelis.

Israel says the so-called Martyrs' Fund incentivizes violence, while the Palestinians say it provides aid to needy families.

President Donald Trump's Mideast plan, unveiled in January, would have allowed Israel to annex a third of the West Bank, including all its Jewish settlements. The Palestinians immediately rejected the plan, and Abbas announced in May that he was cutting all ties to the US&nbsp;And Israel, and would no longer abide by past agreements with them.

Israel shelved its annexation plans in August after the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize relations, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the pause was only temporary.

Trump took unprecedented steps to support Israel and isolate the Palestinians, including moving the US&nbsp;Embassy to contested Jerusalem, cutting off aid to the Palestinians, and ending decades of US&nbsp;Opposition to Israeli settlements, which the Palestinians and much of the international community view as a violation of international law.

Biden has vowed to restore aid to the Palestinians and press both sides to resume the long-moribund peace process, without providing much detail about his approach.&nbsp;

Israel has released more than $1 billion in funds withheld from the Palestinian Authority, a Palestinian minister said Wednesday, weeks after coordination was renewed between the two sides.

Israel has released more than $1 billion in funds withheld from the Palestinian Authority, a Palestinian minister said Wednesday, weeks after coordination was renewed between the two sides. Hussein al-Sheikh, a close aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, confirmed the receipt of nearly 3.8 billion shekels (around $1.1 billion) from Israel. The #Israeli government transfers all financial dues of the clearance to the account of the #Palestinian Authority, amounting to three billion and 768 million shekels. https://t.co/TK9vueVzRW — حسين الشيخ Hussein Al Sheikh (@HusseinSheikhpl) December 2, 2020 × In May, the Palestinians stopped coordination with Israel, with PA leader Mahmud Abbas saying it was in response to Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank. Israel later put its annexation plans on hold, in return for an agreement to normalise ties with the United Arab Emirates, announced in August. In halting the cooperation with Israel, the PA also stopped accepting transfer of taxes, particularly customs duties, collected by Israel on its behalf. Also read: Seeking restart with Biden, Palestinians eye end to prisoner payments The Palestinians resumed contacts with Israel last month following President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the US Election. Biden is opposed to annexation and has promised a more evenhanded approach to the conflict. The taxes are a key source of revenue for the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It was forced to cut the salaries it pays to tens of thousands of civil servants, worsening an economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Israel's Finance Ministry said the funds were transferred following the approval of the Israeli Security Cabinet last month. Israel said it would deduct an amount equal to what the Palestinian Authority pays to the families of prisoners and those killed in the conflict, including militants implicated in attacks that killed Israelis. Israel says the so-called Martyrs' Fund incentivizes violence, while the Palestinians say it provides aid to needy families. President Donald Trump's Mideast plan, unveiled in January, would have allowed Israel to annex a third of the West Bank, including all its Jewish settlements. The Palestinians immediately rejected the plan, and Abbas announced in May that he was cutting all ties to the US And Israel, and would no longer abide by past agreements with them. Israel shelved its annexation plans in August after the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize relations, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the pause was only temporary. Trump took unprecedented steps to support Israel and isolate the Palestinians, including moving the US Embassy to contested Jerusalem, cutting off aid to the Palestinians, and ending decades of US Opposition to Israeli settlements, which the Palestinians and much of the international community view as a violation of international law. Biden has vowed to restore aid to the Palestinians and press both sides to resume the long-moribund peace process, without providing much detail about his approach.

Israel transfers $1 billion in withheld funds to Palestinians

On one of the West Bank city of Bethlehem's main streets, an unusual name for a restaurant has caught the eyes of passesrby:"Corona-Sandwich" restaurant.

Coronavirus-branded restaurant turns heads in the occupied West bank

In a bold move to refurbish their sullied image in Washington, the Palestinians are laying the groundwork for an overhaul to one of their most cherished but controversial practices, officials say: compensating those who serve time in Israeli prisons, including for violent attacks.

That policy, which critics call “pay to slay,” has long been denounced by Israel and its supporters as giving an incentive to terrorism because it assures would-be attackers that their dependents will be well cared for. And because payments are based largely on the length of the prison sentence, critics say the most heinous crimes are the most rewarded.

In a bipartisan rebuke to the system, Congress repeatedly passed legislation to reduce aid to the Palestinians by the amount of those payments. The payments were cited by the Trump administration when it cut off funding and took other punitive measures against the Palestinians starting in 2018.

Now, however, Palestinian officials eager to make a fresh start with the incoming Biden administration — and to have those punitive measures rolled back — are heeding the advice of sympathetic Democrats who have repeatedly warned that without an end to the payments, it would be impossible for the new administration to do any heavy lifting on their behalf.

The proposal being hammered out in Ramallah would give the families of Palestinian prisoners stipends based on their financial need instead of how long they are behind bars, said Qadri Abu Bakr, the chairman of the Palestinian Authority’s Prisoners Affairs Commission.

“Economic need must serve as the basis,” Abu Bakr said in a phone interview. “A single man should not be earning the same as someone with a family.”

The plan, which has not been publicly announced, is only the latest in a flurry of moves the Palestinians are making to try to reboot their international relations. On Tuesday, they acquiesced to widespread diplomatic pressure and resumed cooperation with Israel on security and civil matters after a six-month boycott. And on Wednesday, they said they had returned their emissaries to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, after recalling them in protest of those countries’ normalization agreements with Israel.

The details of the proposed changes to the prisoner payment system have not been finalized, Abu Bakr said, and will require the approval of the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas.

It is not yet clear whether de-linking the payments from the crime will satisfy the system’s strongest critics if any payments to prisoners continue.

But the proposal is almost certain to stir intense pushback from many Palestinians, who have long revered prisoners as heroes and freedom fighters.

The status of prisoners may be the most emotionally charged issue on the Palestinian street: One of the biggest protest movements in the West Bank in recent years was in support of prisoners who mounted a hunger strike in 2017. In May, when some Palestinian banks complied with an Israeli military order barring them from distributing the payments to the prisoners’ families, gunmen opened fire on several of the banks’ branches.

The Palestinians have made payments to prisoners of Israel for decades, defending them as critical compensation for an unfair military justice system and necessary to provide income for families who have lost their primary breadwinners.

Under the current system, the Palestinian Authority pays larger stipends to prisoners who have spent longer times in prison, with little regard for their families’ economic welfare. For example, someone who has spent 35 years in prison could earn thousands of dollars a month; someone in prison for four years might receive hundreds.

Ashraf al-Ajrami, a former minister of prisoner affairs, said he fully expected that the public “would respond angrily” to the proposed changes. But he acknowledged that the Palestinian Authority was eager to change the system because of the diplomatic toll it had taken.

Asked about the plan, relatives of inmates expressed disbelief and disgust.

“This is 100% unacceptable and shameful,” said Qassam Barghouti, the son of Marwan Barghouti, who was convicted by Israel of five counts of murder and is serving multiple life sentences.

“The prisoners are not a social welfare issue,” he added. “People are paid more for spending longer periods of time in prison to recognize their sacrifices: The more time you spend behind bars, the greater your value to your society is.”

Officials said they also plan to require released prisoners to take public-sector jobs. Many former prisoners are paid what amount to monthly pensions for sitting idle, Abu Bakr said.

“We shouldn’t be delivering salaries to people for doing nothing,” he said, noting that his commission had already distributed questionnaires to former prisoners about their job preferences. “They should work for them.”

Officials said they also planned to overhaul payments to families of assailants and others killed by Israelis — another extremely sensitive issue among Palestinians, who refer to them as martyrs. While officials said the Palestinians intended to start strictly tying these payments to financial need, the details of how they would do so remained unclear.

The details will matter. Israelis who have harped on the payments for years said they would need to be convinced that the changes were more than cosmetic.

“They finally understand that they have to do something,” said Yossi Kuperwasser, a retired general in military intelligence who is one of most outspoken critics of the payments. “That’s a good thing. But we need to be watchful. I’m still suspicious.”

And some critics consider any payments to the families of prisoners too much.

“A terrorist needs to know that when he takes part in terrorism, his family won’t receive any money from the Palestinian Authority because he has entered prison in Israel,” said Avi Dichter, a Likud lawmaker.

Since early last year, Israel has pressured the Palestinians to stop the payments by withholding part of the more than $100 million it collects in taxes each month on their behalf.

Talks aimed at getting the Palestinians to end the system took on urgency about two months ago, several people involved said. Nickolay Mladenov, the U.N. envoy to the Middle East, along with diplomats from Norway and Germany, were described as instrumental in pressing the Palestinians.

As a Biden victory began to look more likely, Washington think tanks organized numerous Zoom calls with Palestinian officials in which Democratic officials explained why it was vital to end the payment system if the Palestinians had any hope of getting Biden to undo the Trump administration’s moves — like reopening a Palestinian diplomatic mission in Washington that Trump had shuttered.

Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, have promised to restore at least some aid and to reopen the diplomatic mission.

But as a practical matter, participants in the calls told the Palestinians, the Biden administration — with little bandwidth for the Middle East and needing to husband every bit of its political capital — would be unable to do much for them unless “pay to slay” was abolished. An act of Congress requires that system to be reformed before much of the aid can be restored.

A State Department official said that the United States “strongly condemns the Palestinian Authority’s practice of paying terrorists or their families and would welcome its immediate cessation.”

Nimrod Novik, a former aide to Prime Minister Shimon Peres and longtime advocate for a two-state solution, said that Palestinian leaders were readily persuaded. But it remained for them to come up with a formula that would satisfy scrutiny from both sides of the conflict and then to figure out how to “put a bulletproof vest around it” to withstand what was expected to be an angry response from the Palestinian public.

Like others apprehensive about popular dissatisfaction, Novik questioned the wisdom of publicly discussing the proposal now.

“The way to sell it is if it comes in a package,” Novik said, such as in exchange for a concrete move by the incoming Biden administration. “Now, it’s in isolation, as a down payment for goodwill. Once it’s in the public domain, the price will be paid.”

In a bold move to refurbish their sullied image in Washington, the Palestinians are laying the groundwork for an overhaul to one of their most cherished but controversial practices, officials say: compensating those who serve time in Israeli prisons, including for violent attacks.

In a bold move to refurbish their sullied image in Washington, the Palestinians are laying the groundwork for an overhaul to one of their most cherished but controversial practices, officials say: compensating those who serve time in Israeli prisons, including for violent attacks. That policy, which critics call “pay to slay,” has long been denounced by Israel and its supporters as giving an incentive to terrorism because it assures would-be attackers that their dependents will be well cared for. And because payments are based largely on the length of the prison sentence, critics say the most heinous crimes are the most rewarded. In a bipartisan rebuke to the system, Congress repeatedly passed legislation to reduce aid to the Palestinians by the amount of those payments. The payments were cited by the Trump administration when it cut off funding and took other punitive measures against the Palestinians starting in 2018. Now, however, Palestinian officials eager to make a fresh start with the incoming Biden administration — and to have those punitive measures rolled back — are heeding the advice of sympathetic Democrats who have repeatedly warned that without an end to the payments, it would be impossible for the new administration to do any heavy lifting on their behalf. The proposal being hammered out in Ramallah would give the families of Palestinian prisoners stipends based on their financial need instead of how long they are behind bars, said Qadri Abu Bakr, the chairman of the Palestinian Authority’s Prisoners Affairs Commission. “Economic need must serve as the basis,” Abu Bakr said in a phone interview. “A single man should not be earning the same as someone with a family.” The plan, which has not been publicly announced, is only the latest in a flurry of moves the Palestinians are making to try to reboot their international relations. On Tuesday, they acquiesced to widespread diplomatic pressure and resumed cooperation with Israel on security and civil matters after a six-month boycott. And on Wednesday, they said they had returned their emissaries to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, after recalling them in protest of those countries’ normalization agreements with Israel. The details of the proposed changes to the prisoner payment system have not been finalized, Abu Bakr said, and will require the approval of the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas. It is not yet clear whether de-linking the payments from the crime will satisfy the system’s strongest critics if any payments to prisoners continue. But the proposal is almost certain to stir intense pushback from many Palestinians, who have long revered prisoners as heroes and freedom fighters. The status of prisoners may be the most emotionally charged issue on the Palestinian street: One of the biggest protest movements in the West Bank in recent years was in support of prisoners who mounted a hunger strike in 2017. In May, when some Palestinian banks complied with an Israeli military order barring them from distributing the payments to the prisoners’ families, gunmen opened fire on several of the banks’ branches. The Palestinians have made payments to prisoners of Israel for decades, defending them as critical compensation for an unfair military justice system and necessary to provide income for families who have lost their primary breadwinners. Under the current system, the Palestinian Authority pays larger stipends to prisoners who have spent longer times in prison, with little regard for their families’ economic welfare. For example, someone who has spent 35 years in prison could earn thousands of dollars a month; someone in prison for four years might receive hundreds. Ashraf al-Ajrami, a former minister of prisoner affairs, said he fully expected that the public “would respond angrily” to the proposed changes. But he acknowledged that the Palestinian Authority was eager to change the system because of the diplomatic toll it had taken. Asked about the plan, relatives of inmates expressed disbelief and disgust. “This is 100% unacceptable and shameful,” said Qassam Barghouti, the son of Marwan Barghouti, who was convicted by Israel of five counts of murder and is serving multiple life sentences. “The prisoners are not a social welfare issue,” he added. “People are paid more for spending longer periods of time in prison to recognize their sacrifices: The more time you spend behind bars, the greater your value to your society is.” Officials said they also plan to require released prisoners to take public-sector jobs. Many former prisoners are paid what amount to monthly pensions for sitting idle, Abu Bakr said. “We shouldn’t be delivering salaries to people for doing nothing,” he said, noting that his commission had already distributed questionnaires to former prisoners about their job preferences. “They should work for them.” Officials said they also planned to overhaul payments to families of assailants and others killed by Israelis — another extremely sensitive issue among Palestinians, who refer to them as martyrs. While officials said the Palestinians intended to start strictly tying these payments to financial need, the details of how they would do so remained unclear. The details will matter. Israelis who have harped on the payments for years said they would need to be convinced that the changes were more than cosmetic. “They finally understand that they have to do something,” said Yossi Kuperwasser, a retired general in military intelligence who is one of most outspoken critics of the payments. “That’s a good thing. But we need to be watchful. I’m still suspicious.” And some critics consider any payments to the families of prisoners too much. “A terrorist needs to know that when he takes part in terrorism, his family won’t receive any money from the Palestinian Authority because he has entered prison in Israel,” said Avi Dichter, a Likud lawmaker. Since early last year, Israel has pressured the Palestinians to stop the payments by withholding part of the more than $100 million it collects in taxes each month on their behalf. Talks aimed at getting the Palestinians to end the system took on urgency about two months ago, several people involved said. Nickolay Mladenov, the U.N. envoy to the Middle East, along with diplomats from Norway and Germany, were described as instrumental in pressing the Palestinians. As a Biden victory began to look more likely, Washington think tanks organized numerous Zoom calls with Palestinian officials in which Democratic officials explained why it was vital to end the payment system if the Palestinians had any hope of getting Biden to undo the Trump administration’s moves — like reopening a Palestinian diplomatic mission in Washington that Trump had shuttered. Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, have promised to restore at least some aid and to reopen the diplomatic mission. But as a practical matter, participants in the calls told the Palestinians, the Biden administration — with little bandwidth for the Middle East and needing to husband every bit of its political capital — would be unable to do much for them unless “pay to slay” was abolished. An act of Congress requires that system to be reformed before much of the aid can be restored. A State Department official said that the United States “strongly condemns the Palestinian Authority’s practice of paying terrorists or their families and would welcome its immediate cessation.” Nimrod Novik, a former aide to Prime Minister Shimon Peres and longtime advocate for a two-state solution, said that Palestinian leaders were readily persuaded. But it remained for them to come up with a formula that would satisfy scrutiny from both sides of the conflict and then to figure out how to “put a bulletproof vest around it” to withstand what was expected to be an angry response from the Palestinian public. Like others apprehensive about popular dissatisfaction, Novik questioned the wisdom of publicly discussing the proposal now. “The way to sell it is if it comes in a package,” Novik said, such as in exchange for a concrete move by the incoming Biden administration. “Now, it’s in isolation, as a down payment for goodwill. Once it’s in the public domain, the price will be paid.”

Seeking restart with Biden, Palestinians eye end to prisoner payments

A Palestinian man was killed by Israeli soldiers in return fireafter he shot at them. Israel's army made an announcement in this regard. The incident took place in West Bank.

"Troops who were at a military post adjacent to the southern exit of the city of Nablus spotted an assailant driving out of the city armed with a pistol who fired at them, and responded with fire ... The assailant has been neutralised," a statement said.&nbsp;

Israeli soldiers were not injured. The identity of the killed Palestinian man is not yet known.

Israeli forces, who have occupied the West Bank since 1967, are regularly targeted in the Palestinian territory.&nbsp;

Typically young Palestinians use knives, cars and -- less frequently -- guns to attack Israeli troops.&nbsp;

(With AFP inputs)

A Palestinian man was killed by Israeli soldiers in return fireafter he shot at them. Israel's army made an announcement in this regard. The incident took place in West Bank.

A Palestinian man was killed by Israeli soldiers in return fireafter he shot at them. Israel's army made an announcement in this regard. The incident took place in West Bank. "Troops who were at a military post adjacent to the southern exit of the city of Nablus spotted an assailant driving out of the city armed with a pistol who fired at them, and responded with fire ... The assailant has been neutralised," a statement said. Israeli soldiers were not injured. The identity of the killed Palestinian man is not yet known. Israeli forces, who have occupied the West Bank since 1967, are regularly targeted in the Palestinian territory. Typically young Palestinians use knives, cars and -- less frequently -- guns to attack Israeli troops. (With AFP inputs)

Palestinian killed after shooting at Israeli soldiers

This week on the West Asia Post, we look at one year of anti-government protests in Lebanon as Ghadi Francis talks to one of the main voices of the revolution. For more such stories, keep watching the West Asia post with Ghadi Francis every Friday at 8:30 PM, only on WION.

The West Asia Post; Episode 4

Israel approved more than 1,300 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday in the first such go-ahead since it suspended annexation plans in the territory.

Israel approves first new settler homes since suspending annexation

Only 285,000 students returned to class this week in the West Bank, out of 1.3 million in the territory but Hassan Allan's 300 students must wait to see their newly refurbished school.

Teachers in West Bank rebuild school; Watch video

Israel’s settler leaders say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defrauded them of their long-held dream of annexing the occupied West Bank as part of the country's normalisation deal with the United Arab Emirates.

Their anger could be a problem for right-wing Netanyahu, whom they accuse of repeatedly floating the idea of annexation only to cave in to international pressure when the terms of the UAE deal required him to walk back his promises.

"He deceived us, defrauded us, duped us," said David Elhayani, head of the Yesha Council, the settlers' main umbrella organisation.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/policy-on-us-arms-sales-to-uae-unchanged-says-israels-netanyahu-321443" hreflang="en">Policy on US arms sales to UAE unchanged, says Israel's Netanyahu</a>

"It's a major disappointment. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, a golden opportunity that the prime minister missed because he lacked the courage," said Elhayani. "He's lost it. He needs to go."

Israel’s West Bank settlements - which range in size from a few hilltop caravans to sprawling commuter towns - were built by successive governments on land captured in a 1967 war.&nbsp;

Around 450,000 Jewish settlers now live among 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank, with a further 200,000 settlers in East Jerusalem. Most countries view the settlements as illegal, a view that Israel and the United States dispute.

When Netanyahu promised during recent elections to apply Israeli sovereignty to areas of the West Bank, including Jewish settlements, he said he first needed a green light from Washington.

That green light appeared to have been given by President Donald Trump's Mideast plan released in January, which envisaged Israel applying sovereignty - de facto annexation - to its 120 settlements in almost a third of the West Bank.

But when Trump announced the UAE deal this month, he said annexation was now "off the table".&nbsp;

SOVEREIGNTY

Polls have shown wide support in Israel for the UAE deal. But the ideological settler leadership has significant political clout, and has long been a bastion of Netanyahu's support.

Aware that he might lose their backing to parties even more hawkish than his own, Netanyahu sought to keep settler hopes alive.&nbsp;

"Sovereignty is not off the agenda, I was the one who brought it to the Trump plan with American consent. We will apply sovereignty," he told Israel Army Radio, saying the White House had merely asked for a suspension.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/major-revolution-after-historic-deal-with-uae-pm-netanyahu-says-israel-planning-air-route-over-saudi-arabia-321288" hreflang="en">'Major revolution': After historic deal with UAE, PM Netanyahu says Israel planning 'air route over Saudi Arabia'</a>

But many settler leaders are unconvinced. Bezalel Smotrich, a settler with the ultranationalist opposition Yemina party, said Netanyahu "has been deceiving right-wing voters for many years with great success".

Palestinians, who seek a state of their own in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, have vigorously opposed the policies of Trump and his senior adviser Jared Kushner, including their Middle East plan and UAE deal.

They accuse Trump, Kushner and Netanyahu of drawing up blueprints that would leave them only an unviable Palestinian state of separate enclaves scattered across the West Bank.

But the Trump vision of limited Palestinian statehood has created strange bedfellows.&nbsp;

The Palestinians say it gives them too little. But for the most hardline Israeli settlers it gives the Palestinians too much. For these settlers, any Palestinian state is anathema.

In the hilltop settlement of Kedumim, veteran settler leader Daniella Weiss said: "I don't think the Jewish nation needs to give up any of its treasures, any part ... of our homeland, for a peace treaty."&nbsp;

"I am a pioneer that established an outpost, then my children did it, now my grandchildren are doing it. This is the dream and this is the plan and this is what our movement does."

Israel’s settler leaders say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defrauded them of their long-held dream of annexing the occupied West Bank as part of the country's normalisation deal with the United Arab Emirates.

Israel’s settler leaders say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defrauded them of their long-held dream of annexing the occupied West Bank as part of the country's normalisation deal with the United Arab Emirates. Their anger could be a problem for right-wing Netanyahu, whom they accuse of repeatedly floating the idea of annexation only to cave in to international pressure when the terms of the UAE deal required him to walk back his promises. "He deceived us, defrauded us, duped us," said David Elhayani, head of the Yesha Council, the settlers' main umbrella organisation. Also read: Policy on US arms sales to UAE unchanged, says Israel's Netanyahu "It's a major disappointment. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, a golden opportunity that the prime minister missed because he lacked the courage," said Elhayani. "He's lost it. He needs to go." Israel’s West Bank settlements - which range in size from a few hilltop caravans to sprawling commuter towns - were built by successive governments on land captured in a 1967 war. Around 450,000 Jewish settlers now live among 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank, with a further 200,000 settlers in East Jerusalem. Most countries view the settlements as illegal, a view that Israel and the United States dispute. When Netanyahu promised during recent elections to apply Israeli sovereignty to areas of the West Bank, including Jewish settlements, he said he first needed a green light from Washington. That green light appeared to have been given by President Donald Trump's Mideast plan released in January, which envisaged Israel applying sovereignty - de facto annexation - to its 120 settlements in almost a third of the West Bank. But when Trump announced the UAE deal this month, he said annexation was now "off the table". SOVEREIGNTY Polls have shown wide support in Israel for the UAE deal. But the ideological settler leadership has significant political clout, and has long been a bastion of Netanyahu's support. Aware that he might lose their backing to parties even more hawkish than his own, Netanyahu sought to keep settler hopes alive. "Sovereignty is not off the agenda, I was the one who brought it to the Trump plan with American consent. We will apply sovereignty," he told Israel Army Radio, saying the White House had merely asked for a suspension. Also read: 'Major revolution': After historic deal with UAE, PM Netanyahu says Israel planning 'air route over Saudi Arabia' But many settler leaders are unconvinced. Bezalel Smotrich, a settler with the ultranationalist opposition Yemina party, said Netanyahu "has been deceiving right-wing voters for many years with great success". Palestinians, who seek a state of their own in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, have vigorously opposed the policies of Trump and his senior adviser Jared Kushner, including their Middle East plan and UAE deal. They accuse Trump, Kushner and Netanyahu of drawing up blueprints that would leave them only an unviable Palestinian state of separate enclaves scattered across the West Bank. But the Trump vision of limited Palestinian statehood has created strange bedfellows. The Palestinians say it gives them too little. But for the most hardline Israeli settlers it gives the Palestinians too much. For these settlers, any Palestinian state is anathema. In the hilltop settlement of Kedumim, veteran settler leader Daniella Weiss said: "I don't think the Jewish nation needs to give up any of its treasures, any part ... of our homeland, for a peace treaty." "I am a pioneer that established an outpost, then my children did it, now my grandchildren are doing it. This is the dream and this is the plan and this is what our movement does."

West Bank settlers say Netanyahu duped them with annexation backtrack

Netanyahu is calling the Israel-UAE peace deal a historic event. It is a big diplomatic achievement as he gets to normalise diplomatic relations between UAE and Israel after 49-long-years.

Israel gets to rebuild its ties with the Muslim world. It gets regional acceptance. At the same time, Israel does not have to junk the plan of annexing the West Bank.

Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to be the Israeli leader who finally annexes the West Bank.&nbsp;He has promised the annexation repeatedly during the election campaigns. This deal allows him to keep that promise.

At the same time, it lets him win his voters back by extending an economic and cultural promise.

According to a recent poll, only four per cent of Israelis view the annexation as a priority, whereas, 69 per cent of people, on the other hand, want the government to give priority to the&nbsp;economy.

It is exactly what the Abaram accord gives Netanyahu -&nbsp;&nbsp;a shot at transforming Israel's growth in terms of economy, technology, tourism and&nbsp;culture.

West Bank is&nbsp;a thin strip of land between Israel and the Jordan River. This piece of land lies at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict.&nbsp;West Bank is home to 3 million Palestinian Arabs.

It is seen as the heart of the future Palestinian state but the West Bank is also home to Israeli Jews. Most of them moved there&nbsp;to post the Middle East war of 1967.

Today, the West Bank is a collage of settlements. Officially, West Bank is not a part of Israel. But Jerusalem wants to annex it. The Abraham accord puts the annexation plan on hold temporary.

So the&nbsp;peace deal does not have much for the Palestinians. They have accused the United Arab Emirates of abandoning them.&nbsp;A spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the deal amounts to treason.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said: "The Palestinian leadership announces that it rejects and denounces the surprise trilateral UAE, Israeli and US announcement about full normalization of relations."

Iran is a big factor in this deal.&nbsp;It is the shared threat from Tehran that has brought UAE and Israel together, officially.

Iran is not only a threat but also a terror in the region as are its Shia Jihadi groups.&nbsp;Iran's neighbours need to share security and intelligence more than ever. Israel was already growing friendlier with the neighbourhood making the ties official is hurting the stakeholders.

It a diplomatic win for Trump ahead of his re-election bid -&nbsp;a political validation for Netanyahu even as UAE gets the credit for halting the annexation of the West Bank.

For Turkey, the&nbsp;deal means a paradise lost. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been trying to project himself as the champion of the Palestinian cause. He wants to be the leader of the Muslim world and the&nbsp;deal snatches that dream from him.

Meanwhile, it is highly unlikely that the&nbsp;deal was inked without the nod of the Saudis.&nbsp;Oman and Bahrain have already cultivated friendly ties with Israel, if the United States is to be believed, it is only a matter of time before they too start signing accords with Israel.

Netanyahu is calling the Israel-UAE peace deal a historic event. It is a big diplomatic achievement as he gets to normalise diplomatic relations between UAE and Israel after 49-long-years.

Netanyahu is calling the Israel-UAE peace deal a historic event. It is a big diplomatic achievement as he gets to normalise diplomatic relations between UAE and Israel after 49-long-years. Israel gets to rebuild its ties with the Muslim world. It gets regional acceptance. At the same time, Israel does not have to junk the plan of annexing the West Bank. Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to be the Israeli leader who finally annexes the West Bank. He has promised the annexation repeatedly during the election campaigns. This deal allows him to keep that promise. At the same time, it lets him win his voters back by extending an economic and cultural promise. According to a recent poll, only four per cent of Israelis view the annexation as a priority, whereas, 69 per cent of people, on the other hand, want the government to give priority to the economy. It is exactly what the Abaram accord gives Netanyahu - a shot at transforming Israel's growth in terms of economy, technology, tourism and culture. West Bank is a thin strip of land between Israel and the Jordan River. This piece of land lies at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict. West Bank is home to 3 million Palestinian Arabs. It is seen as the heart of the future Palestinian state but the West Bank is also home to Israeli Jews. Most of them moved there to post the Middle East war of 1967. Today, the West Bank is a collage of settlements. Officially, West Bank is not a part of Israel. But Jerusalem wants to annex it. The Abraham accord puts the annexation plan on hold temporary. So the peace deal does not have much for the Palestinians. They have accused the United Arab Emirates of abandoning them. A spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the deal amounts to treason. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said: "The Palestinian leadership announces that it rejects and denounces the surprise trilateral UAE, Israeli and US announcement about full normalization of relations." Iran is a big factor in this deal. It is the shared threat from Tehran that has brought UAE and Israel together, officially. Iran is not only a threat but also a terror in the region as are its Shia Jihadi groups. Iran's neighbours need to share security and intelligence more than ever. Israel was already growing friendlier with the neighbourhood making the ties official is hurting the stakeholders. It a diplomatic win for Trump ahead of his re-election bid - a political validation for Netanyahu even as UAE gets the credit for halting the annexation of the West Bank. For Turkey, the deal means a paradise lost. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been trying to project himself as the champion of the Palestinian cause. He wants to be the leader of the Muslim world and the deal snatches that dream from him. Meanwhile, it is highly unlikely that the deal was inked without the nod of the Saudis. Oman and Bahrain have already cultivated friendly ties with Israel, if the United States is to be believed, it is only a matter of time before they too start signing accords with Israel.

Israel-UAE deal: What's in it for UAE, Arab countries and Netanyahu?

A triptych of a Mediterranean shipwreck donated by British street artist Banksy raised nearly $3 million on Tuesday at a Sotheby's auction held to raise funds for a Palestinian hospital in the West Bank.

The trio of highly stylised paintings by the mysterious artist shows orange life vests and an oar washed up on a rocky shore.

They first appeared in the Walled Off Hotel that Banksy helped set up in the Israeli-occupied city of Bethlehem in 2017.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-arrests-six-over-banksy-artwork-stolen-from-bataclan-309045">France arrests six over Banksy artwork stolen from Bataclan</a>

The "Mediterranean Sea View 2017" was seen as Bansky's stern judgement on Europe's hesitant response to the migrant crisis that peaked some five years ago.

Tens of thousands are thought to have died as European countries on the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas turned away people fleeing violent conflicts across North Africa and the Middle East.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/banksy-paints-mural-on-tube-to-encourage-people-to-wear-masks-313386">Banksy paints mural on Tube to encourage people to wear masks</a>

"This work juxtaposes an historic fine art genre with grim contemporaneity," Sotheby's said in its sales listing for the work.

"Though posing as eighteenth or nineteenth-century paintings of the 'Natural Sublime', the present work undermines and subverts the viewer's expectations to broach a difficult contemporary issue."

It officially raised $2.9 million or&nbsp;2.5 million euros, well shy of the record £9.9 million set for a Banksy in October when his "Devolved Parliament" painting went under the hammer in the middle of Britain's Brexit struggle with the EU.

Banksy donated the triptych to raise money for a new stroke unit and to buy children's rehabilitation equipment at the Bethlehem hospital.

"We're often led to believe migration is a drain on the country's resources, but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian immigrant," he said in a rare public comment on the piece.

"Apple is the world's most profitable company... and it only exists because they allowed in a young man from Homs".

Banksy depicted Jobs in a work entitled "The Son of a Migrant from Syria" that showed him carrying a knapsack and an Apple computer.

The sale came in the middle of a broader virtual auction Sotheby's was staging from its London gallery entitled "Rembrandt to Richter Evening Sale".

One of only three self-portraits by Rembrandt still in private hands sold for £14.5 million, a record for one of the Dutch master's famous depictions of himself.

A triptych of a Mediterranean shipwreck donated by British street artist Banksy raised nearly $3 million on Tuesday at a Sotheby's auction held to raise funds for a Palestinian hospital in the West Bank.

A triptych of a Mediterranean shipwreck donated by British street artist Banksy raised nearly $3 million on Tuesday at a Sotheby's auction held to raise funds for a Palestinian hospital in the West Bank. The trio of highly stylised paintings by the mysterious artist shows orange life vests and an oar washed up on a rocky shore. They first appeared in the Walled Off Hotel that Banksy helped set up in the Israeli-occupied city of Bethlehem in 2017. Also read: France arrests six over Banksy artwork stolen from Bataclan The "Mediterranean Sea View 2017" was seen as Bansky's stern judgement on Europe's hesitant response to the migrant crisis that peaked some five years ago. Tens of thousands are thought to have died as European countries on the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas turned away people fleeing violent conflicts across North Africa and the Middle East. Also read: Banksy paints mural on Tube to encourage people to wear masks "This work juxtaposes an historic fine art genre with grim contemporaneity," Sotheby's said in its sales listing for the work. "Though posing as eighteenth or nineteenth-century paintings of the 'Natural Sublime', the present work undermines and subverts the viewer's expectations to broach a difficult contemporary issue." It officially raised $2.9 million or 2.5 million euros, well shy of the record £9.9 million set for a Banksy in October when his "Devolved Parliament" painting went under the hammer in the middle of Britain's Brexit struggle with the EU. Banksy donated the triptych to raise money for a new stroke unit and to buy children's rehabilitation equipment at the Bethlehem hospital. "We're often led to believe migration is a drain on the country's resources, but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian immigrant," he said in a rare public comment on the piece. "Apple is the world's most profitable company... and it only exists because they allowed in a young man from Homs". Banksy depicted Jobs in a work entitled "The Son of a Migrant from Syria" that showed him carrying a knapsack and an Apple computer. The sale came in the middle of a broader virtual auction Sotheby's was staging from its London gallery entitled "Rembrandt to Richter Evening Sale". One of only three self-portraits by Rembrandt still in private hands sold for £14.5 million, a record for one of the Dutch master's famous depictions of himself.

Banksy altered sea view triptych fetches $2.9 million at auction

Plans by Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to begin annexing parts of the occupied&nbsp;Palestinian territories&nbsp;from as early as Wednesday appeared in disarray as the country’s alternate prime minister, Benny Gantz, suggested annexation would have to wait while the country dealt with its coronavirus crisis.

The comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, Benny Gantz, exposed a growing rift just weeks after their coalition government was sworn into office. It also raised questions about the viability of Netanyahu’s annexation plan.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/un-chief-guterres-urges-israel-to-abandon-west-bank-annexation-plan-309092/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Netanyahu has said he wants to begin annexing occupied land as soon as this week in line with President Donald Trump’s Mideast plan. Trump’s envoy, Avi Berkowitz, is in Jerusalem this week working with Israeli officials on the contours of which land Israel can annex.

But in a meeting with his Blue and White party, Gantz said his top priority is helping the country cope with the health and economic crisis stemming from the coronavirus.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israels-cabinet-meets-to-finalise-annexation-plans-for-occupied-west-bank-309153">Israel's cabinet meets to finalise annexation plans for occupied West Bank</a>

“Anything unrelated to the battle against the coronavirus will wait,” he said.

Netanyahu appeared to dismiss Gantz’s concerns Monday, telling Likud members that he was working “discretely” with the Americans. “The issue does not depend on Blue and White,” he said.

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On Sunday, Netanyahu had asked evangelical supporters to lobby in favor of Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank as he expects evangelical leaders to put pressure on the White House to give Israel the green light.

Netanyahu has said he intends to extend Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley, as envisaged by a blueprint announced by US President Donald Trump in January under which Israel would control of 30 per cent&nbsp;of the West Bank.

International opposition has mounted in the past few weeks, with Palestinian leaders, the United Nations, European powers, and Arab countries allied with Israel all denouncing any annexation of land that Israeli forces captured in a&nbsp;1967 war.

&nbsp;

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Plans by Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to begin annexing parts of the occupied Palestinian territories from as early as Wednesday appeared in disarray as the country’s alternate prime minister, Benny Gantz, suggested annexation would have to wait while the country dealt with its coronavirus crisis.

Plans by Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to begin annexing parts of the occupied Palestinian territories from as early as Wednesday appeared in disarray as the country’s alternate prime minister, Benny Gantz, suggested annexation would have to wait while the country dealt with its coronavirus crisis. The comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, Benny Gantz, exposed a growing rift just weeks after their coalition government was sworn into office. It also raised questions about the viability of Netanyahu’s annexation plan. Netanyahu has said he wants to begin annexing occupied land as soon as this week in line with President Donald Trump’s Mideast plan. Trump’s envoy, Avi Berkowitz, is in Jerusalem this week working with Israeli officials on the contours of which land Israel can annex. But in a meeting with his Blue and White party, Gantz said his top priority is helping the country cope with the health and economic crisis stemming from the coronavirus. Also read: Israel's cabinet meets to finalise annexation plans for occupied West Bank “Anything unrelated to the battle against the coronavirus will wait,” he said. Netanyahu appeared to dismiss Gantz’s concerns Monday, telling Likud members that he was working “discretely” with the Americans. “The issue does not depend on Blue and White,” he said. On Sunday, Netanyahu had asked evangelical supporters to lobby in favor of Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank as he expects evangelical leaders to put pressure on the White House to give Israel the green light. Netanyahu has said he intends to extend Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley, as envisaged by a blueprint announced by US President Donald Trump in January under which Israel would control of 30 per cent of the West Bank. International opposition has mounted in the past few weeks, with Palestinian leaders, the United Nations, European powers, and Arab countries allied with Israel all denouncing any annexation of land that Israeli forces captured in a 1967 war.

Israel leaders Netanyahu and Gantz at odds over West Bank annexation plan

An Israeli minister played down on Tuesday the likelihood of major moves to annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank on July 1, the planned starting point for cabinet debate on the issue.

Zeev Elkin, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, said Israel still did not have the green light it seeks from Washington to begin extending its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank, territory Palestinians seek for a state.

Palestinian leaders, the United Nations, European powers and Arab countries have all denounced any annexation of land that Israeli forces captured in a 1967 war.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/israel-leaders-netanyahu-and-gantz-at-odds-over-west-bank-annexation-plan-309532" hreflang="en">Israel leaders Netanyahu and Gantz at odds over West Bank annexation plan</a>

"Whoever painted a picture of everything happening in one day on July 1, did so at their own risk," Elkin, minister of higher education, told Army Radio when asked what would happen on Wednesday. "From tomorrow, the clock will start ticking."

No cabinet session for Wednesday has been announced.

US&nbsp;officials are in Israel as part of the White House's efforts to win consensus within its government for annexation as envisioned in an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan announced by President Donald Trump in January.

The proposal calls for Israeli sovereignty over about 30% of the West Bank - land on which Israel has built settlements for decades - as well as the creation of a Palestinian state under strict conditions.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/israels-cabinet-meets-to-finalise-annexation-plans-for-occupied-west-bank-309153" hreflang="en">Israel's cabinet meets to finalise annexation plans for occupied West Bank</a>

Palestinians say the blueprint would make statehood, in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, unviable, and most world powers view Israel's settlements on occupied land as illegal. Netanyahu says the Jewish people have a legal, historic and moral claim to the West Bank, the biblical Judea and Samaria.

Netanyahu and his main coalition government partner, Defence Minister Benny Gantz, are at odds over annexation, which the right-wing prime minister has promoted.

In an interview with the YNet news site on Tuesday, Gantz repeated his call for Israel to try to enlist Palestinian and international support for the Trump plan before proceeding with a unilateral annexation move.

An Israeli minister played down on Tuesday the likelihood of major moves to annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank on July 1, the planned starting point for cabinet debate on the issue.

An Israeli minister played down on Tuesday the likelihood of major moves to annex Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank on July 1, the planned starting point for cabinet debate on the issue. Zeev Elkin, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, said Israel still did not have the green light it seeks from Washington to begin extending its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank, territory Palestinians seek for a state. Palestinian leaders, the United Nations, European powers and Arab countries have all denounced any annexation of land that Israeli forces captured in a 1967 war. Also read: Israel leaders Netanyahu and Gantz at odds over West Bank annexation plan "Whoever painted a picture of everything happening in one day on July 1, did so at their own risk," Elkin, minister of higher education, told Army Radio when asked what would happen on Wednesday. "From tomorrow, the clock will start ticking." No cabinet session for Wednesday has been announced. US officials are in Israel as part of the White House's efforts to win consensus within its government for annexation as envisioned in an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan announced by President Donald Trump in January. The proposal calls for Israeli sovereignty over about 30% of the West Bank - land on which Israel has built settlements for decades - as well as the creation of a Palestinian state under strict conditions. Also read: Israel's cabinet meets to finalise annexation plans for occupied West Bank Palestinians say the blueprint would make statehood, in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, unviable, and most world powers view Israel's settlements on occupied land as illegal. Netanyahu says the Jewish people have a legal, historic and moral claim to the West Bank, the biblical Judea and Samaria. Netanyahu and his main coalition government partner, Defence Minister Benny Gantz, are at odds over annexation, which the right-wing prime minister has promoted. In an interview with the YNet news site on Tuesday, Gantz repeated his call for Israel to try to enlist Palestinian and international support for the Trump plan before proceeding with a unilateral annexation move.

Israeli minister signals major West Bank annexation move not imminent

Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu has made the West Bank settlements one of his major agendas for his reelection campaign.

UN Chief Guterres Urges Israel To 'abandon' West Bank Annexation Plan

Israel's cabinet will meet on Sunday to finalise&nbsp;plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank despite facing criticism and threat of sanctions for it.

According to Prime minister&nbsp;Benjamin Netanyahu&nbsp;Israel will ''apply sovereignty'' to up to 30 per cent&nbsp;of the West Bank, covering Israeli settlements and the rich agricultural lands of the Jordan Valley, from 1 July,&nbsp;in line with US President Donald Trump’s controversial so-called "Middle East plan".

Despite Netanyahu’s pledge to give the order to annex on Wednesday, he may be forced to dilute or delay the proposal after three days of deliberations at the White House last week ended without an endorsement.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/israel-caught-in-the-middle-of-intensifying-rivalry-between-us-and-china-302292">Israel caught in the middle of intensifying rivalry between US and China</a>

Netanyahu had been counting on the backing of the Trump administration after it&nbsp;unveiled its “vision for peace”&nbsp;six months ago which said Jewish settlements in the West Bank,&nbsp;illegal under international law and the Jordan Valley would be incorporated into Israel.

The West Bank, which the Jewish state has occupied since the 1967 Middle East war, is home to as many as 3 million Palestinians and roughly 430,000 Israeli Jews living in scores of settlements.

Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/southern-israel-hit-by-two-rockets-from-gaza-israel-military-308965">Southern Israel hit by two rockets from Gaza: Israel military</a>

The plan, announced in January, proposes to establish a demilitarised Palestinian state on a patchwork of disjointed parts of the Palestinian territories.

This does not include occupied&nbsp;East Jerusalem, which the Palestinian Authority (PA) claims as the capital of a state it seeks.

Trump's Middle East plan has been largely met with scepticism and was rejected by Palestinian leaders, but Israel has taken it as a show of support for its plans to seize and extend its sovereignty over the&nbsp;occupied land.

On Friday, two rockets were fired from Gaza towards&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;a day after the Palestinian group Hamas warned that annexation amounted to a “declaration of war”. In response, Israeli air force jets struck two military facilities in the southern Gaza Strip, the army said.

The head of Mossad, the Israeli secret service, visited Amman last week to discuss the annexation plan with King Abdullah of Jordan after he&nbsp;warned of a “massive conflict” with Israel&nbsp;if it proceeded.

Israel's cabinet will meet on Sunday to finalise plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank despite facing criticism and threat of sanctions for it. According to Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu Israel will ''apply sovereignty'' to up to 30 per cent of the West Bank, covering Israeli settlements and the rich agricultural lands of the Jordan Valley, from 1 July, in line with US President Donald Trump’s controversial so-called "Middle East plan".

Israel's cabinet will meet on Sunday to finalise plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank despite facing criticism and threat of sanctions for it. According to Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu Israel will ''apply sovereignty'' to up to 30 per cent of the West Bank, covering Israeli settlements and the rich agricultural lands of the Jordan Valley, from 1 July, in line with US President Donald Trump’s controversial so-called "Middle East plan". Despite Netanyahu’s pledge to give the order to annex on Wednesday, he may be forced to dilute or delay the proposal after three days of deliberations at the White House last week ended without an endorsement. Also read: Israel caught in the middle of intensifying rivalry between US and China Netanyahu had been counting on the backing of the Trump administration after it unveiled its “vision for peace” six months ago which said Jewish settlements in the West Bank, illegal under international law and the Jordan Valley would be incorporated into Israel. The West Bank, which the Jewish state has occupied since the 1967 Middle East war, is home to as many as 3 million Palestinians and roughly 430,000 Israeli Jews living in scores of settlements. Also read| Southern Israel hit by two rockets from Gaza: Israel military The plan, announced in January, proposes to establish a demilitarised Palestinian state on a patchwork of disjointed parts of the Palestinian territories. This does not include occupied East Jerusalem, which the Palestinian Authority (PA) claims as the capital of a state it seeks. Trump's Middle East plan has been largely met with scepticism and was rejected by Palestinian leaders, but Israel has taken it as a show of support for its plans to seize and extend its sovereignty over the occupied land. On Friday, two rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israel a day after the Palestinian group Hamas warned that annexation amounted to a “declaration of war”. In response, Israeli air force jets struck two military facilities in the southern Gaza Strip, the army said. The head of Mossad, the Israeli secret service, visited Amman last week to discuss the annexation plan with King Abdullah of Jordan after he warned of a “massive conflict” with Israel if it proceeded.

Israel's cabinet meets to finalise annexation plans for occupied West Bank

The United Nations secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has expressed hope that&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;will hear global calls and will not go ahead with annexation of parts of the West Bank, which would undermine a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The UN has been consistently conveying the message “that annexation would be not only against international law but it would be a major factor to destabilise the region”, he said in an interview.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israeli-troops-kill-palestinian-who-tried-car-ramming-in-west-bank-police-308080">Israeli troops kill Palestinian who tried car-ramming in West Bank: Police</a>

He spoke ahead of a high-level UN security council meeting on Wednesday on the Mideast where Israel’s plans to annex around 30 per cent&nbsp;of the West Bank in line with US president Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan is certain to be a major topic.

Guterres will speak before briefings from Arab League secretary-general, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and UN special coordinator, Nickolay Mladenov. France, which holds the council presidency this month, said half a dozen foreign ministers are expected to take part, along with the Palestinian foreign minister and Israel’s UN ambassador.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israels-netanyahu-mulls-two-phase-west-bank-annexation-306513">Israel's Netanyahu mulls two-phase West Bank annexation</a>

Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 war and has built dozens of settlements that are now home to nearly 500,000 Israelis, but it never formally claimed it as an Israeli territory due to stiff international opposition.

The Palestinians, with wide international backing, seek the territory as the heartland of their future independent state.

The Trump administration has taken a much softer line toward Israeli settlements than its predecessors. With Trump’s reelection prospects uncertain this November, Israeli hardliners have urged their prime minister,&nbsp;Benjamin Netanyahu, to move ahead with annexation quickly. The Israeli leader’s new coalition deal includes an official clause allowing him to present his annexation plan to the government starting July 1.

Such a unilateral move would all but dash Palestinian hopes of establishing a viable independent state and is vehemently opposed by the Palestinians, Arab nations and most of the rest of the world.

Guterres said annexation “would undermine what I believe is necessary, which is a two-state solution in which Israelis and the Palestinians can live together in peace, respect each other, and guarantee each other’s security”.

“I hope that this voice of reason that is not only mine, it is echoing across the world, will be heard by the Israeli authorities and that annexation does not take place on July 1,” he said.

The United Nations secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has expressed hope that Israel will hear global calls and will not go ahead with annexation of parts of the West Bank, which would undermine a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The United Nations secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has expressed hope that Israel will hear global calls and will not go ahead with annexation of parts of the West Bank, which would undermine a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The UN has been consistently conveying the message “that annexation would be not only against international law but it would be a major factor to destabilise the region”, he said in an interview. Also read: Israeli troops kill Palestinian who tried car-ramming in West Bank: Police He spoke ahead of a high-level UN security council meeting on Wednesday on the Mideast where Israel’s plans to annex around 30 per cent of the West Bank in line with US president Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan is certain to be a major topic. Guterres will speak before briefings from Arab League secretary-general, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and UN special coordinator, Nickolay Mladenov. France, which holds the council presidency this month, said half a dozen foreign ministers are expected to take part, along with the Palestinian foreign minister and Israel’s UN ambassador. Also read: Israel's Netanyahu mulls two-phase West Bank annexation Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 war and has built dozens of settlements that are now home to nearly 500,000 Israelis, but it never formally claimed it as an Israeli territory due to stiff international opposition. The Palestinians, with wide international backing, seek the territory as the heartland of their future independent state. The Trump administration has taken a much softer line toward Israeli settlements than its predecessors. With Trump’s reelection prospects uncertain this November, Israeli hardliners have urged their prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to move ahead with annexation quickly. The Israeli leader’s new coalition deal includes an official clause allowing him to present his annexation plan to the government starting July 1. Such a unilateral move would all but dash Palestinian hopes of establishing a viable independent state and is vehemently opposed by the Palestinians, Arab nations and most of the rest of the world. Guterres said annexation “would undermine what I believe is necessary, which is a two-state solution in which Israelis and the Palestinians can live together in peace, respect each other, and guarantee each other’s security”. “I hope that this voice of reason that is not only mine, it is echoing across the world, will be heard by the Israeli authorities and that annexation does not take place on July 1,” he said.

UN chief Antonio Guterres urges Israel to back away from West Bank annexation

Israeli&nbsp;police on Tuesday shot dead a Palestinian who they said had tried to run over an officer with his car in the occupied West Bank.

The officer was lightly injured in the incident, a police spokesman said. It took place at an&nbsp;Israeli&nbsp;military checkpoint near the town of Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israels-netanyahu-mulls-two-phase-west-bank-annexation-306513">Israel's Netanyahu mulls two-phase West Bank annexation</a>

Palestinian officials questioned the police's account of the man's death. They identified him as 27-year-old Ahmad Erekat.

"This young man was killed in cold blood. Tonight was his sister's wedding," said Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Erekat said the man killed was his relative and that his wedding was set for next week.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/palestinians-easing-coronavirus-restrictions-in-west-bank-300961">Palestinians easing coronavirus restrictions in West Bank</a>

"What the occupation army (Israeli&nbsp;military) claims, that he was trying to run someone over, is a lie," he said.

Video showed&nbsp;Israeli&nbsp;troops&nbsp;placing a plastic sheet over the man, who lay shirtless on the ground next to his vehicle.

Tensions have risen in recent weeks with&nbsp;Israeli&nbsp;Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet due on July 1 to begin discussing annexation of the West Bank, territory Israel captured in a 1967 war and that Palestinians seek for a state.

Palestinians vehemently oppose the annexation plan, as do most world powers.

Israeli police on Tuesday shot dead a Palestinian who they said had tried to run over an officer with his car in the occupied West Bank. The officer was lightly injured in the incident, a police spokesman said.

Israeli police on Tuesday shot dead a Palestinian who they said had tried to run over an officer with his car in the occupied West Bank. The officer was lightly injured in the incident, a police spokesman said. It took place at an Israeli military checkpoint near the town of Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem. Also read: Israel's Netanyahu mulls two-phase West Bank annexation Palestinian officials questioned the police's account of the man's death. They identified him as 27-year-old Ahmad Erekat. "This young man was killed in cold blood. Tonight was his sister's wedding," said Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Erekat said the man killed was his relative and that his wedding was set for next week. Also read: Palestinians easing coronavirus restrictions in West Bank "What the occupation army (Israeli military) claims, that he was trying to run someone over, is a lie," he said. Video showed Israeli troops placing a plastic sheet over the man, who lay shirtless on the ground next to his vehicle. Tensions have risen in recent weeks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet due on July 1 to begin discussing annexation of the West Bank, territory Israel captured in a 1967 war and that Palestinians seek for a state. Palestinians vehemently oppose the annexation plan, as do most world powers.

Israeli troops kill Palestinian who tried car-ramming in West Bank: Police

Soaring temperatures sent Israelis to beaches across the country on Sunday (May 17) with many violating the coronavirus restrictions. Some areas in the country and Israeli-occupied West Bank exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in the country's first seasonal heatwave.

People flock to beaches as Israel, West Bank bake in heatwave

Palestinian tourism ministry says 'West Bank’s Nativity Church to close until further notice amid coronavirus fears.'

Coronavirus Outbreak: West Bank's church of nativity shut, Palestinian tourism industry faces burnt

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Tuesday to build 3,500 new settler homes in a super-sensitive area of the occupied West Bank, just a week before a tight general election.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Tuesday to build 3,500 new settler homes in a super-sensitive area of the occupied West Bank, just a week before a tight general election. "I gave immediate instructions for a permit to deposit (plans) for the construction of 3,500 units in E1," Netanyahu said. Also Read: Netanyahu withdraws bid for immunity from corruption prosecution The international community has warned repeatedly that Jewish settlement construction in the E1 corridor would cut the West Bank in two and compromise the contiguity of a future Palestinian state. "We are building Jerusalem and Jerusalem's outskirts," Netanyahu said at a conference in remarks relayed by a spokesman. In 2013, Netanyahu had vetoed construction in the E1 corridor in the face of UN, EU and US pressure. Watch: Today Tonight: Donald Trump welcomes Benjamin Netanyahu | WION News | World News The move to advance new homes, which would constitute a new neighbourhood of Maale Adumim, a nearby settlement town, was praised by the Yesha Council, a settler lobby group, which noted that plans for homes there have existed since 2004. "Advancing the issue will enable broad and strategic construction between Maale Adumim and Jerusalem," Yesha Council head David Elhayani said in a statement. On Thursday, Netanyahu announced plans for thousands of new homes for Israelis in annexed east Jerusalem, with critics calling the move a last-minute gift to nationalist supporters ahead of a March 2 general election.

Netanyahu pledges new settler homes in West Bank corridor

The move comes after the announcement on Tuesday of President Trump’s plan for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, which the president claimed was a “realistic two-state solution.”

WION Fineprint: Palestine could loose 25% of West Bank | WION News | World News

Wearing Santa swimsuits and chanting 'ho ho ho', dozens of visiting Santa Clauses from abroad, enjoyed the Mideast winter sun on Tuesday (January 7) as they floated on the waters of the Dead Sea.

Floating Santas in the lowest place on Earth

The United States on Monday (November 19) effectively backed Israel's right to build Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank by abandoning its four-decade-old position that they were "inconsistent with international law," in a statement that on Tuesday (November 19) drew praise from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and condemnation from Palestinians.

U.S. backs Israel on settlements, angering Palestinians and clouding peace process

The United States no longer believes that Israeli settlements in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/palestinian-rockets-israeli-airstrikes-jolt-tenuous-gaza-truce-262543">Palestinian territories</a> are illegal, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday in the latest pro-Israel shift by Washington.

The statement puts the United States at odds with virtually all countries as well as UN Security Council resolutions and was hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close ally of President Donald Trump who is days away from potentially losing office.

"After carefully studying all sides of the legal debate," Pompeo told reporters, the United States has concluded that "the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not, per se, inconsistent with international law."

"Calling the establishment of civilian settlements inconsistent with international law hasn't worked. It hasn't advanced the cause of peace," Pompeo said.

Pompeo said that the United States was not necessarily considering the settlements legal either but instead would defer to the judgment of Israeli courts.

The Palestinian Authority,&nbsp;which has refused negotiations through the Trump administration, which it considers biased,&nbsp;denounced the latest decision.

Washington is "not qualified or authorised to cancel the resolutions of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-carries-fresh-strikes-on-gaza-after-rocket-fire-army-262515">international law</a>, and has no right to grant legality to any Israeli settlement," Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeinah said in a statement.

But Netanyahu said that the US shift "rights a historical wrong" for the 600,000 Israeli settlers who live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem among around 2.9 million Palestinians.

"This policy reflects a historical truth,&nbsp;that the Jewish people are not foreign colonialists in Judea and Samaria.&nbsp;In fact, we are called Jews because we are the people of Judea," he said in a statement, using the biblical term for the West Bank.

Watch: US backs Israel on settlements

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Israeli government&nbsp;deadline

The move will surely be interpreted as a boost for Netanyahu as his centrist rival, Benny Gantz, has only two days to form a government after inconclusive elections.

Pompeo denied a motivation to prop up Netanyahu, saying: "The timing of this was not tied to anything that had to do with domestic politics anywhere in Israel or otherwise."

Until now, US policy was based, at least in theory, on a legal opinion issued by the State Department in 1978 which said that settlements in the Palestinian territories captured a decade earlier by Israel went against international law.

The Fourth Geneva Convention on the laws of war explicitly forbids moving civilians into occupied territories.

While the United States has generally vetoed Security Council measures <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/khamenei-says-iran-wants-removal-of-israel-state-not-people-262429">critical of Israel</a>, the previous president Barack Obama, exasperated with Netanyahu, in his final weeks in office allowed the passage of Resolution 2334 that called Israel's settlements a "flagrant violation" of international law.

'Permanent apartheid'?

Previous US administrations have also criticised settlements to varying degrees.

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren said she would reverse Pompeo's "blatantly ideological" shift on settlements.

"Not only do these settlements violate international law, they make peace harder to achieve," she tweeted.

A fellow Democratic senator, Chris Murphy, said the "monumentally bad" decision "could obliterate the chances of Israeli-Palestinian peace."

"And it puts Israel further down a path that has a terrible choice at the end,&nbsp;become a non-Jewish state or become a permanent apartheid state," Murphy said.

Pompeo said he was releasing a "legal review" and not taking on whether <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/khamenei-iran-not-calling-for-elimination-of-jews-wants-non-sectarian-israel-262345">Israel should build more settlements</a>.&nbsp;

But Israel has already been increasingly emboldened. The activist group Peace Now said that Israel has approved 8,337 housing units in the year through October, an increase of 50 per cent from a year earlier.

Israel dismantled homes in the Gaza Strip when it withdrew in 2005 and draws a distinction between settlements and construction in east Jerusalem, which has been annexed by the Jewish state.

Netanyahu vowed in his latest election campaign also to annex large parts of the West Bank, a move that would effectively end a two-state solution.

Trump, whose evangelical Christian base is staunchly pro-Israel, has taken a number of landmark steps including recognising Jerusalem as the Jewish state's capital and cutting off aid to the UN agency that provides schooling to Palestinian refugees.

The latest step puts the United States at stark odds with the European Union, whose top court ruled last week that goods from Israeli settlements must be labelled as such.

The United States no longer believes that Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories are illegal, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday in the latest pro-Israel shift by Washington.

The United States no longer believes that Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories are illegal, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday in the latest pro-Israel shift by Washington. The statement puts the United States at odds with virtually all countries as well as UN Security Council resolutions and was hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close ally of President Donald Trump who is days away from potentially losing office. "After carefully studying all sides of the legal debate," Pompeo told reporters, the United States has concluded that "the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not, per se, inconsistent with international law." "Calling the establishment of civilian settlements inconsistent with international law hasn't worked. It hasn't advanced the cause of peace," Pompeo said. Pompeo said that the United States was not necessarily considering the settlements legal either but instead would defer to the judgment of Israeli courts. The Palestinian Authority, which has refused negotiations through the Trump administration, which it considers biased, denounced the latest decision. Washington is "not qualified or authorised to cancel the resolutions of international law, and has no right to grant legality to any Israeli settlement," Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeinah said in a statement. But Netanyahu said that the US shift "rights a historical wrong" for the 600,000 Israeli settlers who live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem among around 2.9 million Palestinians. "This policy reflects a historical truth, that the Jewish people are not foreign colonialists in Judea and Samaria. In fact, we are called Jews because we are the people of Judea," he said in a statement, using the biblical term for the West Bank. Watch: US backs Israel on settlements Israeli government deadline The move will surely be interpreted as a boost for Netanyahu as his centrist rival, Benny Gantz, has only two days to form a government after inconclusive elections. Pompeo denied a motivation to prop up Netanyahu, saying: "The timing of this was not tied to anything that had to do with domestic politics anywhere in Israel or otherwise." Until now, US policy was based, at least in theory, on a legal opinion issued by the State Department in 1978 which said that settlements in the Palestinian territories captured a decade earlier by Israel went against international law. The Fourth Geneva Convention on the laws of war explicitly forbids moving civilians into occupied territories. While the United States has generally vetoed Security Council measures critical of Israel, the previous president Barack Obama, exasperated with Netanyahu, in his final weeks in office allowed the passage of Resolution 2334 that called Israel's settlements a "flagrant violation" of international law. 'Permanent apartheid'? Previous US administrations have also criticised settlements to varying degrees. Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren said she would reverse Pompeo's "blatantly ideological" shift on settlements. "Not only do these settlements violate international law, they make peace harder to achieve," she tweeted. A fellow Democratic senator, Chris Murphy, said the "monumentally bad" decision "could obliterate the chances of Israeli-Palestinian peace." "And it puts Israel further down a path that has a terrible choice at the end, become a non-Jewish state or become a permanent apartheid state," Murphy said. Pompeo said he was releasing a "legal review" and not taking on whether Israel should build more settlements. But Israel has already been increasingly emboldened. The activist group Peace Now said that Israel has approved 8,337 housing units in the year through October, an increase of 50 per cent from a year earlier. Israel dismantled homes in the Gaza Strip when it withdrew in 2005 and draws a distinction between settlements and construction in east Jerusalem, which has been annexed by the Jewish state. Netanyahu vowed in his latest election campaign also to annex large parts of the West Bank, a move that would effectively end a two-state solution. Trump, whose evangelical Christian base is staunchly pro-Israel, has taken a number of landmark steps including recognising Jerusalem as the Jewish state's capital and cutting off aid to the UN agency that provides schooling to Palestinian refugees. The latest step puts the United States at stark odds with the European Union, whose top court ruled last week that goods from Israeli settlements must be labelled as such.

In policy shift, United States backs Israeli settlements in West Bank

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