Saudi Arabia and France warned Israel on Monday against “any form of annexation” as potential retaliation for Western countries’ recognition of Palestinian statehood, saying it would be a “red line.”
A joint statement from the two nations after a UN summit they co-hosted aimed at promoting a two-state solution said they “urge the Israeli leadership to seize this opportunity for peace, and to issue a clear public commitment to the two-state solution.”
The two nations also called for an end to all settlement activities and settler violence.
“We reiterate that any form of annexation is a red line for the international community that bears serious consequences and constitutes a direct risk to existing and future peace agreements,” the statement said.
The UN gathering demonstrated overwhelming international support for the Palestinian cause and the unprecedented state of isolation that Israel finds itself less than two years after Hamas’s October 7 attack, in which terrorists killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostage.
“It is now time for the international community to move from words to deeds,” the statement read, welcoming the recognition of a Palestinian state in recent days by a number of Western countries.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the recognitions as well as the notion of Palestinian statehood, and vowed to respond upon his return from the UN. Some government ministers are pushing Israel to annex part of the West Bank in response to the wave of recognitions.
France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, San Marino and Andorra issued statements on their recognition of a Palestinian state at the conference. The UK, Australia, Canada and Portugal made their own announcements recognizing Palestine a day earlier.
Both the US and Israel have argued that recognition of a Palestinian state at this time amounts to a reward for Hamas following the October 7 attack, which won’t advance efforts to release the 48 remaining hostages and end the war in Gaza, and which could well harm those goals.
The warning against annexation was just the latest from the international community — with the message being sent to Netanyahu’s government both in public and in private.
A senior Israeli official told The Times of Israel that the Trump administration has privately cautioned Israel against annexing the West Bank in response to the recognition decisions.
However, Jerusalem does not feel that the warning marked “an end to the discussion” and Netanyahu plans to discuss the matter with US President Donald Trump during their White House meeting next Monday, the Israeli official said.
To date, the Trump administration has avoided taking a public stance regarding potential Israeli annexation of the West Bank and has argued that Western countries are to blame for Jerusalem considering the step due to their decisions to recognize Palestinian statehood.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Monday that the British government has warned Israel not to annex parts of the West Bank in retaliation.
Cooper added that the UK had a moral obligation to keep the two-state solution alive even as “extremists on all sides” wanted it dead.
“Just as we recognize Israel, the State of Israel…so we must also recognize the rights of the Palestinians to a state of their own as well,” she said.
A spokesperson for the German government, which has held off on recognizing a Palestinian state, also said in a statement that there must be no further annexation of Palestinian territories by Israel.
Israel has controlled the West Bank since the Six Day War of June 1967, and its settlements there are considered illegal by most countries.
Saudi Arabia, with which Israel has sought to normalize relations, has reportedly warned that annexation of the West Bank would have “major implications.” The UAE, with which Israel has relations, has also called annexation a “red line.”
In their Monday statement, Riyadh and Paris also declared that “ending the war in Gaza and ensuring the release of all hostages” was their “absolute priority.”
“The situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate with the intensification of the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza City, and with civilians and hostages paying an unjustifiable price due to the ongoing war,” read the statement.
“We call for a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, exchange of prisoners, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza,” the statement read.
The two nations also said they committed to supporting a “temporary international stabilization mission upon invitation by the Palestinian Authority” and to increasing their training commitments for Palestinian security forces.
The Times of Israel revealed the French proposal for a stabilization force on Monday.
“We stress the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority,” the statement read. “In the context of ending the war in Gaza, we reiterate that Hamas must end its rule in Gaza, disarm and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign Palestinian State.”
“We commend the historic commitments made by [Palestinian Authority] President Mahmoud Abbas including to the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, the continued rejection of violence and terrorism, and his statement that the Palestinian State has no intention to be a militarized State and is ready to work on security arrangements beneficial to all parties, in full respect of its sovereignty,” the statement read, adding that it welcomed reforms undertaken by the PA including the scrapping of the pay-to-slay system, reforms within the education system and a commitment to hold free elections within a year of a ceasefire.
Saudi Arabia and France also declared that Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weaponry to the Palestinian Authority, with international support.