The U.S. Secretary of State has stated that a move by Israel's parliament towards annexation of the occupied West Bank would threaten Washington's plan to end the conflict in Gaza.
That's not something we can be supportive of right now, Marco Rubio said before leaving for Israel as part of U.S. efforts to shore up a fragile ceasefire deal.
In an apparent attempt to embarrass Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, far-right politicians took the symbolic step of giving preliminary approval to a bill granting Israel authority to annex the West Bank.
The Palestinians claim the West Bank - occupied by Israel since 1967 - as part of a hoped-for independent state.
Last year, the International Court of Justice - the UN's top court - said Israel's occupation was illegal.
Netanyahu has previously spoken in support of annexing West Bank land but has not advanced this due to the risk of alienating the U.S. - Israel's most important ally - and Arab countries which have built relations with Israel after decades of enmity.
Ultra-nationalists in Netanyahu's governing coalition have repeatedly called for Israel to annex the West Bank outright, though the bill was put forward by MPs outside the government.
The bill passed in a 25-24 vote. It is unclear whether it has support to win a majority in the 120-seat Knesset (parliament), and there are ways the prime minister can delay or defeat it.
The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the Knesset's move, stating that Israel would have no sovereignty over Palestinian land.
Israel has built about 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews during its occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them.
The settlements are illegal under international law - a position supported by an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice last year.
As he boarded the plane to Israel, Rubio stated that annexation would be counterproductive and threatening for the peace deal - reiterating U.S. opposition to annexation.
His visit comes shortly after trips by U.S. Vice-President JD Vance and two special envoys, as the Trump administration pushes for the start of talks on the second critical phase of a 20-point Gaza peace plan.
The first phase - which includes a ceasefire, the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces and an influx of aid - was implemented earlier this month.
Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of breaching the agreement over deadly incidents, but it has so far held.
Rubio voiced optimism about preserving the ceasefire. Every day there'll be threats to it, but I actually think we're ahead of schedule in terms of bringing it together, and the fact that we made it through this weekend is a good sign, he remarked.
The second phase of the peace plan involves setting up an interim government in Gaza, deploying an international stabilisation force, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the disarmament of Hamas.
The war in Gaza began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, resulting in around 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken.
In the ensuing conflict, more than 68,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, which is seen by the UN as reliable.
