US Rubio Warns Israel West Bank Annexation Threatens Gaza Peace Deal

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has strongly warned Israel that its plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank threaten to undermine the fragile Gaza ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump. Despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party opposing the annexation bills, right-wing factions in the Knesset have advanced legislation that would apply Israeli sovereignty over West Bank settlements, a move widely condemned by Palestinians, Arab states, and the international community as illegal and destabilizing. Rubio emphasized that while Israel is a democracy and lawmakers have the right to vote, annexation at this time could be counterproductive and jeopardize the peace deal. The US administration, including Vice President JD Vance, has been actively engaged in Israel to support Trump's 20-point peace plan, with Trump explicitly stating he will not allow annexation. Regional actors such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE consider annexation a red line that could dismantle recent diplomatic gains like the Abraham Accords. The move has also drawn bipartisan US domestic opposition, with prominent Democrats urging the administration to oppose annexation and safeguard prospects for peace and aid in the region.