US embassy to provide passport services at West Bank settlements

February 25, 2026

The United States is breaking with longstanding policy by announcing it will provide passport services directly in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, beginning with Efrat this Friday and Beitar Illit in coming months. This decision follows the Trump administration's broader shift toward legitimizing settlements, which international law considers illegal and obstacles to Palestinian statehood. The timing coincides with new Israeli government measures facilitating settler land seizures and a surge in settler violence, including the recent killing of a Palestinian-American teenager.

Who is affected

American citizens living in Israeli settlements in the West Bank (tens of thousands)
Palestinian-Americans and dual citizens living in the West Bank
Palestinians living in the West Bank (approximately three million)
Israeli settlers (over 500,000 in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem)
The family of Nasrallah Abu Siyam, the 19-year-old Palestinian-American killed by settlers
The Palestinian Authority
19 foreign ministers from mostly European and Arab countries

What action is being taken

US consular officers are providing routine passport services in the settlement of Efrat on Friday
The US embassy is planning one-day outreaches in multiple locations including Ramallah, Haifa, Jerusalem, Netanya, and Beit Shemesh
Settlements are expanding at a record rate
Settler violence against Palestinians is accelerating

Why it matters

This represents a significant departure from decades of US foreign policy and provides official legitimacy to settlements that the international community considers illegal under international law. The move signals US endorsement of Israeli control over land intended for a future Palestinian state, potentially undermining peace prospects. By treating settlements as equivalent to sovereign Israeli territory for consular purposes, the US is effectively normalizing what most of the world views as an obstacle to peace and a violation of international law, which could encourage further settlement expansion and complicate efforts toward a two-state solution.

What's next

Consular services will be provided in Beitar Illit settlement in the coming months
Foreign ministers from 19 countries have committed to "taking concrete steps, in accordance with international law, to counter the expansion of illegal settlements in Palestinian territory and policies and threats of forcible displacement and annexation"

Read full article from source: BBC