The United States will provide passport services inside an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank for the first time, the US embassy in Jerusalem has announced . The move applies to the settlement of Efrat and will begin on 27 February. The decision has drawn condemnation from Palestinian officials, who describe it as a breach of international law. In a statement, the US embassy said consular officers would offer routine passport services in Efrat for one day as part of an outreach initiative aimed at reaching American citizens.