The United States has changed its position on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and no longer regards it as a violation of international law.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompey said that the status of the West Bank is negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel welcomes this move - a reversal of the US stance under President Donald Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama.
The settlement is a community established by Israel in the land occupied by the 1967 Middle East War.
For a long time, they have been the source of disputes between Israel and the international community and the Palestinians.
Mr. Pompey told reporters: "After careful study of various aspects of the legal debate, the United States has concluded that "the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank itself is not in violation of international law."