Cairo Talks on Gaza and West Bank Settlements Draw US Criticism

Talks in Cairo focused on Hamas disarmament and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, Israel granted an illegal settlement city status, and a US congressman said the IDF sided with armed settlers who briefly detained him. A former Israeli justice minister said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich deserves at least 15 seats for his West Bank actions. A US lawmaker condemned conditions in the West Bank after the detention.