US consular services in illegal Israeli settlement in West Bank condemned
Al Jazeera
US move to provide consular services in Efrat settlement slammed as breach of international law.
Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA) have condemned an announcement by the United States that it will offer consular services at a settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
In a statement on Wednesday, Hamas described the move as “a dangerous precedent” and “a practical recognition of the legitimacy of colonial-settlements and the occupation’s control over the West Bank”.
The Palestine Liberation Organization’s Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said in a statement the decision “constitutes a clear violation of international law and a blatant favouring of the occupation authorities”.
On Tuesday, the US embassy in Jerusalem announced it would start providing passport services at the Efrat settlement, located between Bethlehem and Hebron, on Friday. All Israeli settlements and outposts in the West Bank are illegal under international law.
Similar services are being planned for the Beitar Illit settlement, the Palestinian city of Ramallah and in other cities in Israel, the embassy said. Currently, the US offers consular and passport services at its embassy in West Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
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