U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Israel on Wednesday against plans to annex the West Bank, stating that such actions could jeopardize the ceasefire agreement reached in the Gaza Strip, LETA reported citing AFP.
It was previously reported that Israeli lawmakers decided on Wednesday to advance two bills aimed at the annexation of the West Bank. The Likud party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that it views this vote as yet another provocation by the opposition, aimed at worsening Israel's relations with the United States.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who previously facilitated a ceasefire in Gaza, stated in September that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.
"I think the president has made it clear that this is not something we can support right now," Rubio said on his way to Israel. According to him, from the perspective of the U.S., steps towards annexation undermine the peace agreement and are unproductive.
In response to a question about violence by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, Rubio told reporters that the U.S. is concerned about anything that threatens or destabilizes the process that the United States has been working on. However, he expressed optimism regarding the sustainability of the ceasefire in Gaza. He acknowledged that threats remain daily but emphasized that much has already been done, and the ceasefire is still being observed.
So far, Rubio has refrained from criticizing the actions of Netanyahu's far-right allies towards annexation. However, several Arab countries, which the U.S. is trying to persuade to provide troops and resources to stabilize the situation in Gaza, have already stated that they will never support the annexation of the West Bank.
