U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Israel against annexing the West Bank, calling the Knesset’s preliminary vote to extend Israeli sovereignty there and the rise in settler violence a “threat to peace.”

The bill, which would apply Israeli law to occupied Palestinian territory, passed an initial vote despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urging a delay to preserve the Gaza ceasefire, embarrassing him politically.

Annexation efforts have accelerated since Hamas’s October 2023 attack, with new settlements approved and Palestinian land increasingly seized, including the controversial E1 area.

Settler violence has surged, with the UN reporting over 1,000 Palestinian deaths and thousands displaced since October, alongside a 13% rise in settler attacks in the first half of 2025, The Guardian has reported.

Rubio emphasized U.S. opposition to annexation and expressed concern over actions that could destabilize recent diplomatic efforts, while Israel’s Supreme Court considers whether to allow international media into Gaza amid the ceasefire.