WASHINGTON, Feb 25 – The US is preparing to start offering passport services in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank for the first time.A statement posted on Tuesday to the US Embassy’s X account said consular officers “will be providing routine passport services” to US citizens in the settlement of Efrat on Friday.It names another settlement, Beitar Illit, as the location for a similar outreach service in the coming months, saying the aim is “to reach all Americans”.Settlements are seen as illegal under international law. Much of the world considers them to be on land intended for a future Palestinian state and views them as an obstacle to peace.However, under President Donald Trump, the US has broken with decades of foreign policy and given settlements greater legitimacy.Trump, a strong supporter of Israel, has only said he opposes Israeli annexation of the West Bank.The Embassy’s moves come after the Israeli government approved new measures this month, making it easier for settlers to seize Palestinian land in the West Bank. Palestinians said this amounted to “de facto annexation”.In a joint statement on Monday, 19 foreign ministers representing mostly European and Arab countries said they condemned “in the strongest terms a series of recent Israeli decisions that introduce sweeping extensions to unlawful Israeli control over the West Bank”.It went on: “We reaffirm our commitment 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.