Palestine denounces Israeli parliament's annexation bid for West Bank

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned Israel's preliminary approval of a bill to extend sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, saying Israel has no authority over any part of the Palestinian territory.

In a statement, the ministry said the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip form an "integral geographical unit of the State of Palestine" under the sovereignty of the Palestinian people and their leadership, represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization.

It warned that Israel's "attempts to impose new realities on the ground" were "null and void," vowing to challenge them through political, diplomatic and legal means. The ministry also urged countries and international bodies to reject Israel's "systematic policies of land seizure and annexation."

Earlier on Wednesday, Israel's parliament voted 25-24 in favor of a bill to apply Israeli law and administration to all settlements in the West Bank, referred to by Israel as Judea and Samaria. The bill, introduced by right-wing lawmaker Avi Maoz of the one-man Noam Party, now heads to the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for further debate.

Israel's Channel 12 reported that some members of the ruling coalition supported the opposition-sponsored bill despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call to abstain, underscoring divisions within the government over annexation policy.