US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that steps taken by the Israeli Parliament to annex the occupied West Bank would seriously jeopardize the US plan to end the conflict in Gaza.
"This is not an action we can support at this time," Rubio declared before departing for Israel, as part of Washington's efforts to strengthen the fragile ceasefire recently reached.
In a move seen as a challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, several far-right members of the Knesset gave preliminary approval to a bill that would give Israel the right to formally annex the West Bank — territory that Palestinians consider part of their future state. The bill passed by a vote of 25 to 24, but it remains unclear whether it will secure a majority in the 120-seat parliament.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the initiative, stressing that Israel has no sovereignty over Palestinian lands.
Since 1967, Israel has built around 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where around 700,000 Jewish settlers live, while 3.3 million Palestinians live in parallel under occupation.
According to the International Court of Justice, which last year declared the Israeli occupation illegal, these settlements violate international law.
Rubio called the annexation move “counterproductive and a threat to peace,” reiterating the U.S. stance against unilateral border changes. His visit follows trips by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and two special envoys as the Trump administration tries to push forward the second phase of its 20-point plan for Gaza.
The first phase, which includes a ceasefire, partial withdrawal of Israeli forces and increased humanitarian aid, came into effect at the beginning of the month and, despite some violent incidents, has been maintained.
Rubio said that "every day there are threats to the ceasefire, but we are ahead of schedule and the fact that we got through the weekend without escalation is a good sign."
The second phase of the plan envisages the establishment of an interim government in Gaza, the deployment of an international stabilization force, the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops and the disarmament of Hamas.
The Gaza War began on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack on southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
Since then, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 68,000 Palestinians have been killed, a figure the UN considers credible.
