Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has postponed a meeting to discuss Israel's plan of annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, as the PA hopes for Arab and western pressure to stop Israel’s move.
Fatah senior official Moneer al-Jaghoub said in a short press statement that the meeting, which was scheduled to be held on Saturday, was postponed until further notice.
Several sources confirmed that the meeting was postponed after Israel delayed the swearing-in of its unity government, which had been set for Thursday.
Hamas spokesman Abdelatif al-Qanou said that the meeting of the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah would be a formality and would not produce any practical results.
He added that withdrawing the recognition of Israel, abolishing agreements with it, and launching the resistance against the occupation are capable of changing the status quo in favor of the Palestinians.
European Union foreign ministers discussed on Friday via video conference the action that the EU could take if Israel pushes forward with plans to annex parts of the West Bank in the coming months. The EU foreign ministers are seeking to agree on a position if Israel takes this step.
In the past days, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has attempted to foil any European decision by addressing 12 friendly EU countries, saying that the Israeli government is newly formed and has taken no actions yet on annexation.
But Jordan's King Abdullah II warned Israel of a “massive conflict” if it proceeds with plans to annex large parts of the West Bank.
US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus replied in a press briefing by saying that Washington “has a close relationship with the state of Jordan. We know that Jordan plays a special role in the Middle East. What we want for both Israel and Jordan is the relationship that is not only strong on the security level, but that’s also strong at the diplomatic level and the economic level.”
She added: “We certainly understand that the king has expressed his concerns today and again that’s why we think it’s important to turn back to President Trump’s Vision for Peace and to bring all parties to the table to work toward this peace plan.”
