Rubio warns West Bank law move could threaten Gaza ceasefire

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday warned that moves by Israel's parliament toward applying Israeli law to parts of the occupied West Bank could imperil a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, as he arrived in Israel to bolster truce implementation and discuss plans for an international stabilization force for the besieged enclave. The warning followed a preliminary parliamentary vote on Wednesday on legislation that would extend Israeli law over West Bank territory claimed by Palestinians for a future state.

Rubio told reporters that annexation steps and a recent rise in settler violence threaten efforts to preserve the ceasefire the United States helped broker. He said the U.S. is weighing next steps to support Gaza's security, including seeking a United Nations mandate to deploy an international force to secure areas vacated by Israeli troops, prevent the flow of munitions, facilitate aid delivery and assist in training a Palestinian police force. "I think the president's made clear that's not something we can be supportive of right now," Rubio said of annexation, adding that pursuing a U.N. mandate would be a step toward building international security arrangements in Gaza.