France and the United Nations envoy to the Middle East urged Israel on Wednesday against annexing parts of the occupied West Bank.
A partial annexation would be a serious violation, and France is working with European partners to come up with a joint action plan for prevention and reprisal should Israel make such a move, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Wednesday.
"For the past few days we have held several video conferences with European colleagues ... with a view to deciding on a joint preventive action and eventually a reprisal if such a decision were taken," he said at a parliament hearing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said cabinet discussions will start in July over extending Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank, as was mooted under US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan.
Israel must abandon its threat to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, said UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov, branding such a plan as a serious violation of international law that would “close the door to a renewal of negotiations.”
“The continuing threat of annexation by Israel of parts of the West Bank would constitute a most serious violation of international law, deal a devastating blow to the two-state solution, close the door to a renewal of negotiations,” he said during a meeting of the UN Security Council.
“Israel must abandon its threat of annexation. And the Palestinian leadership to re-engage with all members of the quartet,” he said, referring to the United States, Russia, the European Union and the UN. He urged the quartet to “come forward with a proposal that will enable the quartet to take up its mediation role.”
Mladenov urged the 15-member council to back a push by UN chief Antonio Guterres against unilateral steps that would hinder diplomatic efforts to renew negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Such a statement by the council is unlikely as it has to be agreed by consensus and the United States traditionally shields its ally Israel from any action.
“This council cannot dictate the end to this conflict. We can only encourage the parties to sit down together to determine how they wish to make progress,” US Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft said.
Pompeo ‘regrets’ Palestinian threats
Several Security Council members such as Indonesia and the European countries have warned Israel against the planned annexations.
In a joint statement France, Belgium, Germany and Estonia reaffirmed that they "will not recognize any changes to the 1967 borders, unless agreed by Israelis and Palestinians."
"We strongly urge Israel to refrain from any unilateral decision that would lead to the annexation of any occupied Palestinian territory and would be, as such, contrary to international law," they said, reaffirming their support for a two state solution as the only one capable of bringing peace to the region.
The Palestinians have rejected Trump’s peace plan. On Tuesday, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas announced an end to the Palestinians' security arrangements with Israel over its annexation plans.
Mladenov said he would speak Thursday with Palestinian leaders about the practical consequences of their announcement, which were not spelled out by Abbas.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday voiced regret at Palestinian threats to end security coordination if Israel annexes occupied territory.
"We hope that the security arrangements will continue to be in place, that the work that's done on the ground there to keep people in Israel and Palestinians safe will continue," Pompeo told reporters.
Pompeo, who met Netanyahu in Jerusalem last week, said the Palestinians would benefit from the Trump plan, which promises them an independent but condensed and demilitarized state as well as international investment.
"The Palestinians have continued to refuse to just simply sit down and enter into negotiation based on President Trump's Vision for Peace," Pompeo said.
Joe Biden, Trump's presumptive Democratic challenger in November elections, on Tuesday declared his opposition to annexation, saying it would undermine hopes for peace.
