NNA - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen criticized Israel for withholding work permits and blocking travel by Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, saying the measures hurt both sides and risked tipping off a broader regional conflict.

"We don’t want to see an extension of conflict into other parts,” Yellen told Reuters in an interview late on Thursday. "Israel is a friend and we talk to them regularly. If we see something that worries us, we tell our partners what we think of that." -- Reuters

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