US, Israel sign agreement for permanent embassy in Jerusalem

The United States has signed an agreement to build a new embassy compound in Jerusalem in a move welcomed by Israel as a sign of strong ties between the two countries.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said the new embassy would serve as the main centre for American diplomatic work in Israel.

The new compound will be built at the Allenby site in southern Jerusalem.

Trump’s decision in 2017 ended decades of US policy, under which the final status of Jerusalem was meant to be decided through talks between Israelis and Palestinians.

Jerusalem remains one of the most disputed issues in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The agreement marks another step in Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a policy first announced by US President Donald Trump in 2017.

At that time, Trump ordered the US embassy to move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.