Blinken, Kirby 'disappointed' in Israel's approval for thousands of new West Bank homes

The US is disappointed with Israel's announcement to approve thousands of new housing units in existing settlements in the West Bank, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday during a press conference in Buenos Aires with Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino. 

Israel intends to advance plans for 3,000 new settler homes in the aftermath of the West Bank terror attack next to a checkpoint heading into Jerusalem, in which one man was killed, and another eight were injured, The Post reported on Thursday. 

Blinken expressed his condolences for the victims of the terror attack, and said the US continues to support Israel's right to self-defense and to deal with terrorism. 

"It's been long-standing US policy, under Republican and Democratic administrations alike, that new settlements are counterproductive to reaching enduring peace. They're also inconsistent with international law," Blinken said. "Our administration maintains firm opposition to settlement expansion and in our judgment, it only weakens and doesn't strengthen Israel's security."

White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby echoed this disappointment during a call with reporters on Friday. 

"It's been a long-standing US policy under both Republican and Democratic administrations that new settlements are counterproductive to the cause of peace. Frankly, they're also inconsistent with international law," Kirby said. "And this administration maintains our firm opposition to settlement expansion."

Post-war plans for Gaza 

Palestinian people should have a voice and vote through a revitalized Palestinian authority in what a post-war Gaza looks like, White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said during a call with reporters on Friday. 

Kirby did not comment on the specifics of Netanyahu's post-war plan, however, he said the Biden administration does not believe in reducing the size of Gaza or the forced displacement of any Palestinian people.

"Of course, we don't want to see Gaza dominated, ruled or governed over by Hamas. Those are very consistent positions, we still hold to them," Kirby said. "And as I said earlier, we made that consistently clear with our Israeli counterparts."

Kirby said the administration will not be bashful about holding to those views, and will certainly not be bashful about expressing them continually with their Israeli counterparts. 

Kirby maintained that Netanyahu's government does care about what the US thinks and does, and that Israelis value and appreciate Biden's leadership even though the administrations have differences. He pushed back on the notion that the US is talking to a brick wall and not a friend. 

"We've been talking quite a bit here today about things we don't agree with them on. We don't agree on the issue of settlements, we clearly have differences on what the future of post-conflict Gaza needs to look like. And yes, there have been differences over the promise and the possibility of a two-state solution," Kirby said. "But that doesn't mean that you just clam up and stop talking about it. It doesn't mean you don't engage with them in meaningful conversations."

Blinken said he hasn't seen Netanyahu's plan and would reserve judgment until he sees the details, though there are certain principles the US feels is important for Gaza's future. 

"As we've spoken extensively about, we are determined to see the conflict in Gaza end as soon as possible in a way that ensures that October 7 can never happen again, but also that the suffering that Palestinians have endured doesn't happen again," Blinken said. "In the first instance, we're focused on getting the hostages out, getting an extended humanitarian ceasefire and building on that even as we look toward the longer term and getting on a genuinely durable path to lasting peace and security."

Hostage release negotiations

The White House had not yet been briefed by US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk who traveled to Israel and Egypt for hostage talks, Kirby said. 

Kirby also didn't have any updates on the hostage negotiations happening in Paris. 

"We continue to work at this very, very hard. We believe that the discussions and negotiations to date have been constructive. Obviously, they have not been conclusive, because we don't have a deal closed," Kirby said. 

But Kirby said it's a good thing talks are still ongoing and people are sitting together to try and hash it out. 

"We're obviously very hopeful that we can come to closure on a deal that would allow for an extended pause, get all the hostages out over time, in stages, and then of course, be able to increase humanitarian assistance," Kirby said.