This morning, Egypt, France, Germany, and Jordan warned Israel against the annexation of parts of the Palestinian territories, saying that this could result in serious consequences for bilateral relations.
In a statement distributed by the German Foreign Ministry, the states said their foreign ministers had discussed how to resume 'fruitful' talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
These countries, along with most European countries, oppose Israel’s plans that include annexing parts of the occupied West Bank as part of a peace agreement promoted by the US President Donald Trump.
The path of the peace process since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, is based on the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.
The statement came following a video conference attended by the ministers. They added that the changes "may also have consequences for relations with Israel."
The ministers affirmed their strong commitment to a two-state solution through negotiations based on international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement that it informed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday that it was committed to Trump's "realistic" peace plan.
"Israel is ready to conduct negotiations on the basis of President Trump's peace plan, which is a creative and realistic plan, and will not return to the failed versions of the past," the statement said.
The Israeli Prime Minister has set the first of July as the date to start annexing large areas of the West Bank, including the Jordan Valley, the northern Dead Sea, and all Israeli settlements.
But Arab and international opposition to the annexation plan and Netanyahu's agreement on its details with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz prompted the American administration to delay giving Israel the green light to proceed with it.
The Palestinians completely opposed the Israeli plan and declared that the Palestine Liberation Organization was free from all agreements and commitments with Israel, including security.
Israeli security officials have warned that the annexation will lead to the outbreak of confrontations with the Israeli army in the Palestinian territories.
In a separate statement, nine Arab countries, today, called on the international community to take clear positions and measures to prevent the implementation of the Israeli plan to annex the Palestinian territories.
This came in a joint statement of the Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, Oman, Kuwait and Palestine. The statement affirmed the right of Palestine to an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.
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