WASHINGTON
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Wednesday that Israel was “threatening” the Gaza ceasefire deal proposed by President Donald Trump after its parliament took a step toward annexing parts of the occupied West Bank.
“I think the president’s made sure that’s not something we can be supportive of right now. And we think that's even threatening to the peace deal,” Rubio told reporters before departing for Israel.
“They’re a democracy. They’re going to have their votes. People are going to take these positions. But at this time, we think it might be counterproductive,” he added.
The warning came after the parliament, or Knesset, approved two annexation-related bills in a preliminary reading on Wednesday. Both drafts still need to pass three additional readings to become law.
The vote came despite opposition from President Trump, who said last month that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. It also came during Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Israel as part of a US diplomatic push to maintain the Gaza ceasefire, which took effect on Oct. 10.
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.
Israeli attacks have escalated across the West Bank since October 2023, killing more than 1,056 Palestinians and injuring over 10,300, with more than 20,000 others detained, according to Palestinian figures.
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.
The first phase of the 20-point Gaza ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas earlier this month, based on a plan presented by Trump. Phase one includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.