Rubio warns Israel against annexing the West Bank

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday warned Israel against annexing the West Bank, saying steps taken by parliament and settler violence threatened a Gaza peace deal, according to the AFP.

Commenting on the move before his visit to Israel, Rubio said, "I think the president's made clear that's not something we can be supportive of right now." 

Annexation moves are "threatening for the peace deal," he told reporters.

"They're a democracy, they're going to have their votes, and people are going to take these positions," he said.

"But at this time, it's something that we ... think might be counterproductive," he said.

Asked about increased violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, Rubio said: "We're concerned about anything that threatens to destabilize what we've worked on."

But Rubio -- the latest high-ranking US visitor to Israel following Vice President JD Vance -- voiced optimism overall for preserving the peace deal.

"Every day there'll be threats to it, but I actually think we're ahead of schedule in terms of bringing it together, and the fact that we made it through this weekend is a good sign," Rubio said.

Knesset advance bills on annexing West Bank

Israeli lawmakers voted Wednesday to advance two bills on annexing the occupied West Bank, barely a week after President Donald Trump pushed through a deal aimed at ending a two-year Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip that was retaliation for a Hamas attack.

The vote coincided with US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Israel, who is visiting the Middle East to strengthen the Gaza ceasefire. 

According to AFP, the first text, passed by 32 members of Parliament to nine, proposed annexing Maale Adumim, a large Israeli settlement east of Jerusalem. 

The second proposal to annex the entire West Bank was supported by 25 MPs while 24 voted against, AFP said.

Pakistan condemns Israeli move

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in a statement on Thursday said that it strongly condemns Israel’s attempt to extend its so-called 'sovereignty' over parts of the Occupied West Bank, including illegal Israeli settlements, through a draft law introduced in the legislature of the occupying power. These actions, it said, constitute a flagrant violation of international law, relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

Such provocative and unlawful measures undermine ongoing efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region, the statement added.

MOFA said that Pakistan calls upon the international community to take urgent and decisive action to halt these illegal steps and to hold the Israeli occupying forces accountable for their continued violations of international law.

Pakistan reiterates its commitment to working with regional and international partners to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination, and to ensure peace, justice, and dignity for the Palestinians, said the statement.

MOFA said that Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, including the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Qatar condemns Knesset proposals

Meanwhile, Qatar on Wednesday condemned in “strongest terms” the Israeli Knesset's decision on advancing two bills on annexing the occupied West Bank, terming it “a blatant violation of the historical rights of the Palestinian people and a challenge to international law and relevant resolutions.”

The Qatar foreign ministry called on the international community — and the United Nations Security Council — “to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities and to take urgent action to compel the Israeli occupation authorities to halt their expansionist plans and settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian territories.”

The ministry reaffirmed Qatar’s firm and longstanding position in support of the Palestinian cause, based on international legitimacy resolutions and the two-state solution, the statement said. 

Israel in the West Bank  

Israel originally captured the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in the Six-Day War in 1967 from Jordan, and it has maintained military control, establishing a large and growing network of settlements across the West Bank. Approximately half a million Palestinians had to leave the territory due to the war. 

On November 22, 1967, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) called for a “withdrawal of Israel's armed forces from territories occupied” during the war.

In June 1980, Israel passed the Jerusalem Law, which claimed East Jerusalem, stating, “Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel.” Then, according to the New York Times, in a televised address in 1988, Jordanian King Hussein — respecting the wishes of the Palestinian Liberation Organization — gave the territory to the Palestinian group.  

The Oslo Accords, signed in 1993 between then-PLO leader Yasser Arafat and then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in Washington, divided the territory into Areas A, B, and C. 

According to Al Jazeera, Area A, representing 18% of the territory, is under Palestinian control, and Area C, which represents 60% of the area, is under Israeli occupation. Area B, representing 22% of the territory, is under joint control of both governments.

Annexation would be 'most serious violation of international law'

However, in 2002, Israel started building walls in the West Bank to facilitate the movement of even more Jewish settlers inside the West Bank. More than 700,000 Jewish settlers — nearly 10% of Israel’s population — now reside within the West Bank, according to Al Jazeera. 

The pace of the settlement has increased since Israel started its bombardment of Gaza after the October 7 attack by Hamas fighters. According to figures from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, over 6,000 people have been displaced from the West Bank since the start of 2024.

Earlier in January, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Senior Israeli officials openly speak of formally annexing all or part of the West Bank in the coming months.” 

“Any such annexation would constitute a most serious violation of international law,” Guterres had said.

The United Nations had said earlier that the Israeli government has shown a clear intent to establish permanent control over Gaza and to ensure a majority in the occupied West Bank.