Reuters’ X ‘Correction’ on Settlements At Odds With Reuters’ Own Reporting

By: Tamar Sternthal June 10, 2026

Has Reuters social media staff gone rogue? A recent Reuters “correction” posted on X (formerly Twitter) regarding international law and the legality of Israeli settlements in the disputed West Bank is contradicted not only by the facts, but also by the news agency’s own reporting.

The June 4 “correction” post errs with this unequivocable determination:

CORRECTION: Israel plans major settlement push across occupied West Bank http://reut.rs/4uZ5Fsr

We will delete a post that referenced Israel’s latest settlement push as being seen by many as illegal; Israel’s settlements in the occupied West Bank are deemed illegal under international law. [Emphasis added.]

In fact, there are experts in international law who dispute the claim that settlements are illegal under international law, among them Prof. Julius Stone and former U.S. Undersecretary of State Eugene Rostow. In addition, then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo acknowledged in 2019 that “The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law,” reverting to a position earlier voiced by President Reagan. Reagan had said: “As to the West Bank, I believe the settlements there — I disagreed when the previous Administration referred to them as illegal, they’re not illegal,” “Excerpts From Interview With President Reagan Conducted by Five Reporters,” New York Times, Feb. 3, 1981.)

Newsweek and Deutsche Welle have both previously corrected this identical error.
Moreover, Reuters’ own reporting — including the very story to which the X “correction” post links — does not substantiate the false claim that settlements are illegal under international law.

Thus, that June 3 article (updated June 4), entitled “Israel plans major settlement push across West Bank,” more accurately states: “Most nations consider Israeli settlements there to be illegal under international law and a major obstacle to a two-state solution for long-term peace.”

Similarly, Reuters more precisely reported on June 9 (“UN inquiry finds Israeli forces shield settlers during attacks on Palestinians“):

Most countries consider such settlements a violation of international law, a position upheld in a 2024 ruling by the U.N.’s top court. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land.

Reuters’ Trust Principles, which “imposed obligations on Reuters and its employees to act at all times with integrity, independence, and freedom from bias,” appears to apply to the organization’s social media content writers no less than its news reporters.

CAMERA has reached out to Reuters to request a correction to its X “correction.” Stay tuned for updates.

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