The military's archaeology unit conducts excavations but keeps some information about the digs secret. "This approach raises suspicions," says an Israeli archaeologist who favors greater transparency.
One of the fundraisers for a group that's raised millions for a seminary in the settlement is Trump's pick for ambassador to Israel. Trump and his son-in-law have made donations to the group.
The law voted on by Israel's parliament legalizes almost 4,000 unauthorized homes on private Palestinian land in the West Bank. Critics say the move is a massive blow to any future peace deal.
There's been a clear uptick in the rate of settlement approval since Donald Trump was sworn into office on Jan. 20 — and the U.S. president is expected to be supportive of settlement expansion.
This is the second announcement of construction plans this week. President Trump, who took office on Friday, is widely expected to be more supportive of settlement expansion than his predecessor.
This week, Israel will sentence a soldier convicted of killing a wounded Palestinian man last year in Hebron. A Palestinian shoemaker recorded a video of the shooting, which was shown at the trial.
After a Palestinian assailant had been shot and wounded, a 20-year-old Israeli soldier shot the motionless man in the head. The shooting was captured on camera by a human rights activist.
West Bank settlements have expanded under every Israeli government over the past half-century. Nearly 10 percent of Israel's Jewish population now lives on land captured in the 1967 Six-Day War.