US transfer to offer consular companies in Efrat settlement slammed as breach of worldwide regulation.
Printed On 25 Feb 2026
Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA) have condemned an announcement by america that it’s going to supply consular companies at a settlement within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution.
In an announcement on Wednesday, Hamas described the transfer as “a harmful precedent” and “a sensible recognition of the legitimacy of colonial-settlements and the occupation’s management over the West Financial institution”.
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The Palestine Liberation Group’s Colonization and Wall Resistance Fee mentioned in an announcement the choice “constitutes a transparent violation of worldwide regulation and a blatant favouring of the occupation authorities”.
On Tuesday, the US embassy in Jerusalem introduced it might begin providing passport services on the Efrat settlement, positioned between Bethlehem and Hebron, on Friday. All Israeli settlements and outposts within the West Financial institution are unlawful beneath worldwide regulation.
Comparable companies are being deliberate for the Beitar Illit settlement, the Palestinian metropolis of Ramallah and in different cities in Israel, the embassy mentioned. At the moment, the US provides consular and passport companies at its embassy in West Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Minister Mu’ayyad Sha’ban, head of the PA fee, famous that each one settlements are unlawful beneath the Fourth Geneva Conference. He added that extending consular companies to an unlawful settlement “entails a breach of the precept of nonrecognition of an illegal scenario – a well-established norm in worldwide regulation that obliges states to chorus from any motion that will confer official or sensible legitimacy upon the results of great violations”.
‘De facto annexation’
Hamas mentioned the choice “unveils the stark contradiction within the stances of the US administration, which claims to oppose the West Financial institution annexation, whereas taking area steps that reinforce annexation and entrench Israeli sovereignty over our occupied land”.
Israel’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs welcomed the choice and thanked the US “for making the relation between Israel and the US nearer and stronger than ever”.
The information comes as Israel continues to increase its attain within the occupied West Financial institution and accelerates settlement expansions.
On Monday, the federal government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was accused of “de facto annexation” of Palestinian land by the international ministers of 19 international locations, together with Qatar, Turkiye, France, Brazil, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Their assertion was launched in response to Israeli plans to start land registration in Space C of the West Financial institution and declare areas as state property if Palestinians fail to show possession. Space C, which Israel straight controls, makes up 60 p.c of the West Financial institution.
The plan is “reclassifying Palestinian land as so-called Israeli ‘state land’, accelerating unlawful settlement exercise, and additional entrenching Israeli administration”, the ministers mentioned.
About 465,000 settlers reside on Palestinian land, a lot of whom are twin US-Israeli residents. The Efrat settlement, positioned throughout the Gush Etzion settlement cluster, is dwelling to various American residents.
