Sunday, 28 June_Israel is getting ready to implement its highly controversial scheme to annex parts of the occupied Palestinian territory, but the US remains undecided on whether to support the move. At the same time, Gaza-based resistance groups say they are preparing a response to the illegal land grab bid.
Israel's new coalition, led by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has set July 1 as the date to begin moving forward with the plan to impose its “sovereignty” over about a third of the West Bank, including settlements and the fertile Jordan Valley.
Netanyahu has been looking for formal US support before proceeding with the annexation.
US undecided
A senior White House official told NBC News that American Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, White House Special Envoy Avi Berkowitz and mapping expert Scott Leigh held several days of meetings in Washington that also involved Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser.
He said the discussions were “productive” but inconclusive, alluding to concerns about how the Israeli annexation could affect Trump’s self-proclaimed "deal of the century,” which was unveiled in January with the aim of legitimizing Israel’s occupation.
The US envoys then traveled to the occupied territories for further meetings and analysis of the Israeli scheme, he added. “There is yet no final decision on next steps for implementing the Trump plan."
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