Middle East

Israel Approves Major Expansion of West Bank Settlements

The Israeli government, emboldened by signs of support from the Trump administration, approved plans on Tuesday to build 2,500 new housing units in the West Bank, the largest such settlement expansion in years.

The approval came days into the new U.S. administration, which has signaled it will shift policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. President Donald Trump had indicated in the past that he would ease U.S. pressure on Israel to limit settlements when he took office.

“We’re building and will continue to build,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a post on his official Facebook page.