JERUSALEM/ANKARA

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee claimed on Thursday that recognition of a Palestinian state by European countries could prompt Israel to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN quoted Huckabee as saying that the US “is actively pressuring” European countries against recognition of a Palestinian state.

“Any European recognition of a Palestinian state would push Israel to declare sovereignty over parts of the West Bank,” he said, adding that such a move would constitute a violation of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Huckabee described the annexation of the occupied West Bank as “potentially undermining existing agreements and complicating negotiations over hostages.”

In less than a year, four European countries -- Norway, Ireland, Spain, and Slovenia -- have formally recognized the Palestinian state.

Several countries, including France, the UK, Malta, Canada, and Portugal, have also announced plans to recognize the Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly meetings in New York in September.

On Wednesday, Israel gave final approval to a highly contested E1 settlement project that would divide the occupied West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem.

The international community, including the UN, considers Israeli settlements illegal under international law.

The European recognition comes as Israel has continued a brutal assault on the Gaza Strip, killing nearly 62,200 people since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.