US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized moves by some Western countries to recognize a Palestinian state, affirming that Washington had previously warned them that Israel might respond by annexing the West Bank.

Speaking to reporters in Ecuador, Rubio said he would not comment on ongoing Israeli political debates about West Bank annexation but stressed that the developments were fully expected.

He explained that Washington informed these countries before any potential recognition that a Palestinian state would not emerge through press conferences or unilateral decisions but through direct negotiations, warning that such steps could provoke reciprocal actions and hinder ceasefire efforts in Gaza.

Rubio asserted that strengthening the Palestinian Authority’s position in the West Bank encouraged Hamas in Gaza, noting that on the day France announced its stance on the Palestinian state, Hamas withdrew from the negotiation table.

However, Arab diplomats told the Times of Israel that Hamas had already presented its position hours before Paris’s announcement, and the rejection came from Israel and the US.

French President Emmanuel Macron called for a UN summit on September 22, announcing that his country would officially recognize a Palestinian state, expressing frustration over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and the Israeli government’s intransigence.

In the same context, far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for annexing large parts of the West Bank to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state,” after countries like Belgium, Canada, and Australia joined the French initiative.

The United Arab Emirates, which signed the Abraham Accords with Israel in 2020, quickly warned that any move toward annexation represents a “red line” that could seriously undermine the agreement.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar urged his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian to retract the Paris plan, affirming that the French president would not be welcome in Israel as long as this step remained on the agenda.

Hebrew channel Kan reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conditioned Macron’s visit to Israel on canceling the recognition, a demand rejected by the French president.

Amid rising international criticism, Macron announced that France would proceed with recognizing a Palestinian state during the UN meetings in September, encouraging many Western countries to follow suit.

Source: “Times of Israel”