Netanyahu says discussing annexing West Bank settlements with US

Israel has been in talks with the US over annexing settlements in the occupied West Bank, a spokesman noted on Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been discussing legislation with the United States on the same, the spokesman added.

"Regarding the issue of applying sovereignty, I can tell you that I have for some time been speaking with the Americans about it," Netanyahu told lawmakers according to comments relayed by a spokesman.

Netanyahu said he wanted to coordinate any such move with the United States because of the country's strategic importance to Israel.

The comments come as Netanyahu is under pressure from right-wing politicians to move ahead with legislation that would apply Israeli sovereignty to settlements in the West Bank.

Netanyahu blocked it from being advanced on Sunday, with officials citing the need to focus on security issues following a confrontation that led to Israeli air strikes in Syria at the weekend.

Netanyahu stressed recently that Israel must retain security control in the Palestinian territories under any peace arrangement.

"Whether or not it's defined as a state when we have the military control is another matter, but I'd rather not discuss labels, but substance," he said when meeting German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel on January 31.

Trump's ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, has in the past been a supporter of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The move is likely to hit the prospects for a two-state solution to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

(With inputs from AFP)