'US does not want West Bank annexation' warning

He allegedly warned racist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a member of Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, that the US did not want the annexation of the occupied West Bank, saying, "You cannot point the finger at US Vice President (JD) Vance when he visits here (Israel)."

According to Israeli state television, KAN, tensions arose between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Finance Minister Smotrich.

Netanyahu's office sent a message to the far-right minister regarding the vote held today in the Israeli parliament on the annexation of illegal Jewish settlements seized from Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank.

In the message sent by Netanyahu to the far-right minister Smotrich, who defends the annexation of the occupied West Bank and supports the bill in parliament, it was stated that "You cannot point the finger at US Vice President (JD) Vance while he is visiting here (Israel)."

Smotrich responded that he could wait another week, but that it was not up to him to hold the vote.

Another far-right Israeli minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said before the vote that he would not support the bill if Smotrich abstained.

Two bills were voted on and passed in the Israeli parliament: one for the annexation of all illegal Jewish settlements seized from Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank, and the other for the annexation of the Maale Adumim settlement to Israel.

The bills, which were approved by a majority vote in the Israeli parliament and are of symbolic importance, need to pass three more parliamentary votes to become law.

In a written statement, Hamas said the preliminary vote in the Israeli Parliament to approve the bill, which envisions the annexation of illegal settlements to Israel, "reflects the ugly colonial face of the Israeli occupation."

The statement emphasized that Israel's insistence on legitimizing settlement activities and imposing Zionist sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories clearly violates all relevant international laws and resolutions.

It was noted that Israel's frantic attempts to annex West Bank lands were "invalid and illegitimate" and that these attempts could not change the fact that these lands belonged to Palestine, in accordance with history, international law and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.

Hamas stated that Israel is responsible for the repercussions of these invalid occupation laws.

The statement called on the United Nations, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to condemn this step and to take action to prevent occupation policies and to prosecute Israel and its leaders for their crimes against the Palestinian people and their blatant violations of international law.

AA