The Israeli government agreed Sunday to devote $20 million more in financing to Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The move underscores the country's increasingly right-leaning orientation and has raised the ire of some politicians, as well as the Palestinians, the New York Times reported.
The money will be added to $87.9 million the Israeli government already has marked for allocation for the nation's enclaves in the occupied West Bank, Haaretz.com reported.
Palestinian officials called the move a "slap on the face" for the international community.
The move came just as Avigdor Lieberman, considered an Israeli hardliner, is expected to arrive in Washington, D.C., where he will meet with Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. Lieberman, who is a settler, was appointed last month as defense minister.
