Secretary Rubio warns West Bank annexation could endanger Trump's Gaza plan
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that moves by Israel's parliament toward the annexation of the West Bank could threaten President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, which has yielded a shaky ceasefire so far, News.Az reports citing Reuters.
"I mean, that’s a vote in the – yeah, that’s a vote in the Knesset, but obviously I think the president’s made clear that’s not something we’d be supportive of right now, and we think it’s potentially threatening to the peace deal," Rubio told reporters late on Wednesday before leaving for Israel.
Rubio's visit is the latest by a senior U.S. official seeking to keep alive the brittle truce between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas after two years of devastating war that has upended the Middle East.
Repeated bouts of gunfire and explosions have shaken the deal and the two sides have traded blame for violations of its first phase, which has seen the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a handover of bodies of some deceased hostages, and a partial pullout of Israeli troops.
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