Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear Friday that Israel annexing the West Bank would “threaten” peace in the Gaza Strip — after ruling out the US working with the United Nations’ Palestinian refugee agency to rebuild the shattered coastal enclave.

The Israeli government has shown a clear intent to establish permanent control over Gaza and to ensure a Jewish majority in the occupied West Bank, a United

An independent U.N. investigator is taking world nations to task for not standing up to the U.S. over sanctions it imposed on her.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that moves by Israel's parliament toward the annexation of the West Bank could threaten President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, which has yielded a shaky ceasefire so far.

Following the Gaza ceasefire, Israel has turned its military and political focus toward the occupied West Bank, escalating actions that analysts say amount to ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and the dismantling of future Palestinian statehood.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Thursday criticized a symbolic vote in Israel's parliament the previous day about annexing the occupied West Bank, saying that it amounted to an "insult" and went against President Donald Trump's administration policies.

Vice President JD Vance said a Knesset vote was an "insult." Secretary of State Marco Rubio planned to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later Thursday.

The incidents come amid intermittent friction around the Gaza perimeter and in the West Bank. The Israel Defense Forces said it fired warning rounds overnight after several suspected Palestinians approached the “yellow line” buffer area along northern Gaza,

Israel is de-registering major nongovernmental aid groups from helping people in the Palestinian territories, according to several officials with humanitarian organizations.

The International Court of Justice was asked to consider the issue after Israel banned activity by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees on its territory.