WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 - The Bush administration, moving to lend political support to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at a time of political turmoil, has modified its policy and signaled approval of growth in at least some Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, American and Israeli officials say.
In the latest modification of American policy, the administration now supports construction of new apartments in areas already built up in some settlements, as long as the expansion does not extend outward to undeveloped parts of the West Bank, according to the officials.
The new policy has not been enunciated publicly. It came to light this week when Mr. Sharon's government announced that 1,001 new bids for construction would be issued for subsidized apartments for settlers in the occupied territories.
For the last three years, American policy has called for a freeze of "all settlement activity," including "natural growth" brought about by an increase in the birthrate and other factors. As a result, when settlement expansions have been announced, American officials have called them violations.
After the latest Israeli announcement, however, administration spokesmen said they were withholding judgment.
"What we have asked of the Israeli government is to let us know what it is that they are doing," Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, said Thursday in answer to a question at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington.
But she added later that "settlement expansion is not consistent with our understanding under the road map,'' the three-year peace plan adopted by the United States, Russia, Europe and the United Nations.
Administration officials said Ms. Rice was alluding to a team of technical advisers, led by a top official in the State Department's intelligence bureau, who are to travel to Israel next month and examine the boundary lines of construction sites in settlements, as well as the location of tiny settlement "outposts" that Mr. Sharon has promised to take down.
An administration official, amplifying Ms. Rice's comment, said a decision had been made this week not to compound Mr. Sharon's political troubles at a time when he was battling hard-liners in his Likud coalition who were revolting against his proposal to pull all settlements out of the occupied Gaza Strip.
The new American statements this week reflected "a covert policy decision toward accepting natural growth" of some settlements, despite repeated past statements, according to the official.
Some American officials acknowledged, in addition, that President Bush was reluctant to criticize Israel during his re-election campaign, which is counting on support from conservative supporters of Israel.
Many consider all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to be illegal because they violate Israel's role as an occupying power. Israel captured those lands in the 1967 Middle East war.
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