US speaks out against unrestrained Israeli settlement activity

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (KUNA) -- The United States spoke out late on Thursday against Israeli plans to build 1,100 settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying "unrestrained settlement activity does not help advance peace." President Donald Trump has made clear, while the existence of settlements are not in themselves an impediment to peace, further unrestrained settlement activity does not help advance peace, said Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Steve Goldstein, responding to media queries on the decision to build homes in 22 settlements in the West Bank, illegal under international law.

Goldstein told reporters that the US is hard at work developing a comprehensive peace plan that will benefit both Israelis and Palestinians "and it will be unveiled when the time is right.

"We believe that it is in the government's interest to adopt a policy regarding settlement activity and we're working towards that," Goldstein noted. (end) hy.hb

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