US embassy in Israel will provide consular services to settlers in occupied West Bank

The US State Department will begin providing on-site consular services directly to Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank for the first time. According to the US embassy in Jerusalem, consular officers will start by offering routine passport services in the Efrat settlement, with plans to expand to other locations. This policy change follows recent controversial comments from the US ambassador to Israel, who claimed that Area C of the West Bank is part of Israel. The decision is a significant shift in US policy and comes as Israel is increasing efforts to cement its control over the occupied territories, which are illegal under international law.