United States has said building new Israeli settlements or expanding existing ones may not be helpful in securing Middle East peace. In a statement, White House spokesman Sean Spicer has said, while US do not believe that 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. <br/><br/>Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said, he planned to set up a new settlement in the West Bank for the first time in more than two decades. Settlements in both the West Bank and east Jerusalem are viewed as illegal under international law and major stumbling blocks to peace as they are built on land the Palestinians want for their own state.