Israel rejects unilateral recognition of Palestinian state

Shafaq News / The Israeli Cabinet officially rejected signing a document unilaterally recognizing a Palestinian state.

The Israeli Cabinet stated on X that "such a recognition, following the massacre of October 7, will give a huge reward to terrorism, a reward like no other, and will prevent any future peace settlement."

The Cabinet further asserted that "Israel outright rejects international dictates regarding the permanent settlement with the Palestinians. Such an arrangement will be reached only through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the outset of the weekly Cabinet meeting, mentioned that this step follows recent international speculation about attempts to impose a Palestinian state on Israel unilaterally.

Earlier reports from the "Times of Israel" indicated that Netanyahu's office denied agreeing to the US proposal to recognize the Palestinian state.

This development comes after other Israeli media outlets suggested that Netanyahu was considering reaching a "tangible" agreement with Washington to recognize the Palestinian state in exchange for normalization with several regional countries.