Recognition of Palestinian state will ‘create problems,’ says Marco Rubio

“There’s going to be a response, it’s going to make it harder to get a ceasefire and it may even trigger theses sorts of actions that you’ve seen, or at least these attempts at these actions,” he added.

However, Rubio declined to comment on Israeli annexation plans for the West Bank, saying it was “not final.”

Major European powers said they are prepared to recognise an independent Palestinian state within weeks, with Britain, France, Canada, Australia and Belgium backing the move at the upcoming UN General Assembly.

London, however, indicated it may delay recognition if Israel takes steps to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and commits to a long-term peace process.

Leaders say recognition is aimed at pressuring Israel to halt its Gaza assault, curb settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and revive peace talks.

French President Emmanuel Macron, the first Western leader to endorse the plan, said the recognition would also require the Palestinian Authority to implement reforms to strengthen governance and credibility in administering Gaza after the war.

However, United States, Israel’s closest ally, has maintained that it would only recognise a Palestinian state as part of a negotiated “two-state solution” agreed by both sides. Until recently, major European powers had echoed that stance. However, with peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians stalled since 2014, several countries are now moving unilaterally toward recognition.