Rubio not opposed to Israeli annexation of occupied West Bank: report

Trump's top diplomat is not opposed to Israel annexing swathes of the occupied West Bank, Axios reported Wednesday, as Israeli officials consider seizing territory before several Western allies recognise Palestine later this month.

Two Israeli officials told the US news outlet that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated in private meetings that the administration would not stand in the way should Israel decide to annex parts of the occupied territory.

The report claimed that the position is not shared by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who believes that such a move will undermine US diplomatic initiatives in the region.

Trump has not yet taken an official position, though he blocked attempts to annex parts of the West Bank during his first term in office.

The State Department has been approached for comment.

The report comes as senior members of the far-right Israeli government advance plans to annex most of the territory and end any prospects of a Palestinian state.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday said maps were being created to annex more than 80 percent of the territory.

Speaking at a press conference, the pro-settler minister presented a map showing almost all the land under Israeli control, apart from six Palestinian cities, including Ramallah, Jenin and Nablus.

Smotrich – who also has power over civilian affairs in much of the West Bank – said he wanted "maximum territory and minimum [Palestinian] population".

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly weighing several options, ranging from annexing a few Jewish settlements to the takeover of all of Area C, which encompasses around 60 percent of the territory.

The Israeli leader, who is wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, has not decided whether to press ahead with annexation.

This comes just a few weeks before the UN General Assembly, where several of Israel's key Western allies are expected to recognise a Palestinian state.

Among them is France, which is leading renewed international efforts to push for a two-state solution alongside Saudi Arabia.

The UK, Canada, Australia and Belgium are also expected to officially recognise Palestine at the annual gathering.

The talk of annexation has triggered backlash in the region, including from Israel's ally in the UAE, which warned on Wednesday that such a move could jeopardise the Abraham Accords.

Rubio, among the many staunch Israel supporters in the Trump administration, will travel to Jerusalem in the middle of September to attend an event organised by a settler organisation at a sensitive archaeological site close to Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The diplomat last month revoked the visas of Palestinian officials to block them from attending the General Assembly.