RAMALLAH, Palestine/ISTANBUL

The Palestinian Authority on Thursday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s rejection of the annexation of the occupied West Bank by Israel, calling on him to pursue efforts to achieve stability in the Middle East.

In a statement, PA spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh urged Trump “to continue making significant efforts that could achieve security and stability in the Middle East.”

He affirmed commitment “to international and Arab legitimacy, as well as the political positions announced by President (Mahmoud) Abbas in his recent speech to the United Nations General Assembly.

Trump said early Thursday that his administration would not allow the annexation of the West Bank by Israel, warning that such a move would cost Tel Aviv "all of its support from the United States."

"Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened," Trump told Time Magazine in an interview.

On Wednesday, the Knesset approved in a preliminary reading two bills to annex the West Bank and the Ma’ale Adumim settlement bloc. Both drafts must still pass three additional readings to become law.

Annexing the West Bank would effectively end the possibility of implementing a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as outlined in UN resolutions.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.