US official: We oppose any effort to legalize outposts

A State Department official expressed the US' disapproval of the decision to expand West Bank settlement, saying that "Continued Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank undermines the peace efforts.

"The US position on Israeli settlements is clear – we do not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity. We also oppose any effort to legalize settlement outposts," the official said. (Yitzhak Benhorin, Washington)