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"Israel is deeply grateful to President (Donald) Trump, Secretary (Mike) Pompeo and the entire US administration for their steadfast position supporting truth and justice," Xinhua news agency reported citing a statement issued by Israeli Prime Minister's Office as saying on Monday night.While calling on countries to adopt a similar position to facilitate peace in the Middle East, Israel said in its statement that it remains "ready and willing to conduct peace negotiations with the Palestin regarding all final status issues in an effort to achieve lasting peace".On Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the new decision which reversed Washington's position on the issue in the past four decades.Pompeo repudiated a 1978 State Department legal opinion that held that civilian settlements in the occupied territories are "inconsistent with international law".He noted, however, that this announcement should not be viewed as the US government "addressing or prejudging the ultimate status of the West Bank"."This is for the Israelis and the Palestin to negotiate."In response to the announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "This policy reflects a historical truth - that the Jewish people are not foreign colonialists in Judea and Samaria." He referred to the West Bank by its biblical name, reports The Times of Israel.However, the decision has angered Palestin.Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdeneh, condemned Pompeo's announcement and said settlements were illegal under international law."The US administration has lost its credibility to play any future role in the peace process," he said.The US decision on Israel's West Bank settlements represents the latest move by the Trump administration to take sides with Israel, following its widely criticized recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017, relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, and recognition of Israel's "sovereignty" over disputed Golan Heights in March 2019.This policy shift is also seen as a political gift for Netanyahu, who is fighting for political survival after being unable to form a coalition government following two elections this year and facing legal issues.The last round of peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestin collapsed in 2014, mainly over Israel's continuing expansion of its settlements in the West Bank.UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov said last month that Israeli settlements on the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal under international law and remain a substantial obstacle to peace.According to the latest Palestinian data, around 400,000 Israeli settlers live in 135 settlements and 100 illegal outposts in the West Bank, where the Palestinian population has reached 2.6 million.( With inputs from IANS )

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Dismissing a recent US decision recognising the Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, the Arab League has warned Israel against annexing the Jordan Valley and parts of the West Bank. ...

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The head of US military's Central Command on Sunday has warned that Iran remains on track to carry out a large-scale attack in the region said that Gulf nations were in danger. ...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday rejected his indictment on a series of corruption charges and accused the prosecutors of staging an attempted coup. ...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's challenger, Benny Gantz has announced that he had failed to form a government by the midnight deadline, increasing prospects for the third elections in Israel in less than a year. ...

The UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Nickolay Mladenov has warned that the situation in Gaza remains fragile despite an Egyptian-mediated cessation of hostilities. ...

Responding to the rockets fired by an Iranian unit, Israel on Wednesday attacked "dozens" of sites belonging to the Iranian Quds Forces and the Syrian army in "wide-scale" air strikes near Damascus and in southwest Syria, the Israeli military said. ...

Israel has thanked US President Donald Trump's administration for its decision that the American government would no longer consider the West Bank Jewish settlements "inconsistent" with the international law. ...