There has been a sharp acceleration in Israeli settlement expansion plans with over 6,000 new homes announced, while the White House warned that settlement expansions "may not be helpful."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing forward a controversial bill. If successful, the bill would legalize dozens of settlement outposts built illegally on private Palestinian land in the West Bank, according to AP.

Legislative resistance is just one of Netanyahu's pressures, since Netanyahu's own Attorney General has said he will not defend the bill before the country's Supreme Court, according to AP. Adding to Netanyahu's woes, the international community overwhelmingly opposes the settlements.

The Palestinians claim the West Bank and east Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, as parts of a future state, the AP reported.

Therefore, Palestinians say the settlements are making it increasingly impossible to partition the land into two states - a position that has wide international backing.

But after Netanyahu announced plans to build over 6,000 new settler homes during Trump's first two weeks in office, the White House  signaled that it too may have its limits over the weekend.‍

“While we don't believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful in achieving that goal,” the White House said.

“I hear disingenuous ultimatums all the time. I don't get excited,” Netanyahu said. “When I manage the country, I think about our national interest. I act only according to this.”

The first round of settlements was announced just one day after Trump's inauguration. And two days later, Israel's Ministry of Defense announced the construction of 2,500 new homes in the West Bank. 

Early this month, Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to build 3,000 more homes “as soon as possible” following the demolition of an illegally-built settler outpost. This will be the largest construction since the late 1990's.

(With inputs from the AP)