All pacts off if Israel annexes territory, Abbas warns at UN

UNITED NATIONS: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas told the United Nations Thursday he would terminate all signed agreements with Israel if it moved forward with plans announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex a key part of the West Bank.

Netanyahu, who is trying to form a new government following a deadlocked election, pledged before the vote to impose Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea which account for one-third of the West Bank.

The promise was widely condemned, including by UN chief Antonio Guterres who warned it would violate international law. “Our response if any Israeli government is to proceed with this plan is that all signed agreements with the government of the occupation and any obligations therein will be terminated,” said Abbas. “And it is our right to defend our rights by all possible means, regardless of consequences, while remaining committed to international law and combating terrorism,” he warned.