U.S. extremely concerned by levels of violence in Israel and West Bank

By Simon Lewis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States is extremely concerned by the levels of violence in Israel and the West Bank and fears that a raid by Israeli forces there could set back efforts at restoring calm, the State Department said on Wednesday.

State Department spokesman Ned Price told a regular press briefing that Washington recognized Israel’s security concerns but was deeply concerned by the large number of injuries and loss of civilian life.

Israeli troops killed 10 Palestinians, including at least four gunmen and three civilians, and wounded over 100 others during a raid on the flashpoint city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, witnesses and medical officials said.

The raid came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Monday said it would not authorize new settlements in the occupied West Bank as part of an agreement that helped avoid stronger criticism at the U.N. Security Council over a move to authorize settler outposts.

The Security Council ultimately issued a formal statement, not a stronger draft resolution earlier proposed by the United Arab Emirates, after the United States said the resolution would be “unhelpful.”

“We had productive conversations in recent days with the parties and U.S. regional partners in support of efforts to prevent further violence,” Price said. “We are deeply concerned that the impact of today’s raid could set back efforts aimed at restoring calm for both Israelis and Palestinians.”

(Reporting by Simon Lewis; Writing by Michael Martina; Editing by Sandra Maler)