West Bank - Latest News Update, Information, Photos & Videos on West Bank at Lokmat Times

"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 )

West BankFOLLOW

West bank, Latest News

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], May 2 : Directorate of Enforcement (ED) attached 12 immovable properties, located at Nagpur, Pune, Ratnagiri ... ...

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has said that US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan dubbed by the latter as the "Deal of the Century", was "delusional". ...

Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of the Islamic Hamas movement, has declared his rejection to the US Middle East peace plan, which has been dubbed by American President Donald Trump as the "Deal of The Century", according to a statement by his office. ...

Voting was underway on Thursday where members of Israel's ruling Likud Party cast their ballots in a leadership primary, where incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pitted against former Minister Gideon Saar. ...

Israel's ruling Likud party will hold a chairmanship primary election on Thursday to determine who will lead it in the next election. ...

Israel's ruling Likud party will hold a leadership primary election on Thursday to determine who will lead it in the next polls. ...

Israel has banned the Christian minority who live in the Gaza Strip ruled by Hamas from visiting Christian holy sites and churches in the West Bank and Jerusalem to celebrate Christmas, a spokesman for the Christian community said on Sunday. ...

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. ...