The Trump administration said yesterday that Israel's building of new settlements or expansion of existing ones in occupied territories may not be helpful in achieving peace with Palestinians, adopting a more measured tone than its previous pro-Israel announcements.

In a statement issued two weeks before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to visit US President Donald Trump, the White House said the administration "has not taken an official position on settlement activity".

Trump, a Republican, has signaled he could be more accommodating towards settlement projects than his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama.

The latest statement reflects slightly more nuanced language on how the new administration views settlement activity.

"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 in a statement.

- Reuters