Israel warns recognising Palestinian state could trigger ‘unilateral’ action

JERUSALEM - Israel’s foreign minister branded a recent international push to recognise Palestinian statehood a “mistake” on Sept 7 and warned it could trigger an unspecified unilateral response, after reports say Israel plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

Several countries, including France and Britain, have

pledged to recognise a Palestinian state

on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in September.

Franco-Israeli relations have been particularly strained since French President Emmanuel Macron announced his country’s plans and co-hosted with Saudi Arabia a

conference on the two-state solution

at the UN in July.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer

said in August the UK would follow suit in recognising a Palestinian state if Israel failed to agree to a truce in the Gaza war, triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023.

“States like France and the UK that pushed the so-called recognition had made a tremendous mistake,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said at a joint press conference with his visiting Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen.

Following through on the plans would make it “harder to get to the peace”, he added.

“It will destabilise the region. It will push Israel also to have unilateral decisions.”

Mr Saar’s remarks come after Israel approved a slew of new West Bank settlements, including a major project just east of Jerusalem known as E1, which the international community has warned threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state.

All Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory are considered

illegal under international law

.

Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said the E1 project intends to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state”.

On Sept 3, he said

annexing large parts of the West Bank

would “take the idea of dividing our tiny land and establishing a terrorist state at its centre off the agenda once and for all”.

Even as the war in Gaza rages, violence has also rocked the West Bank.

Since Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, at least 973 Palestinians, including militants, have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, according to figures from the Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah.

During the same period, at least 36 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to official Israeli figures. AFP