"Biden Administration Reverses Trump Policy on Israeli Settlements in West Bank"

The Biden administration has reinstated a nearly 50-year-old U.S. legal finding that deems Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as "illegitimate" under international law, reversing a determination made by former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. This move comes amid growing U.S.-Israeli tensions over the war in Gaza and a recent announcement of new settlement construction, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing disappointment and reiterating the U.S. opposition to settlement expansion, citing its inconsistency with international law and hindrance to achieving lasting peace.