Qatar Tribune

Lebanon, Jordan warn Israeli annexation threatens peace efforts

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AMMAN Lebanon and Jordan warned on Thursday that Israel’s plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank threatens efforts to reach a peaceful solution for the Israeli-Palestinia­n conflict, the foreign ministers said.

The annexation “is a very dangerous issue,” Lebanese Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti said after a meeting with his Jordanian counterpar­t Ayman al-Safadi in Amman.

Hitti said the plan is an attempt by Israel put an end to efforts towards a peaceful settlement.

Lebanon’s stance is “based on internatio­nal decisions and the Arab peace initiative,” Hitti added.

“We have presented our vision of a comprehens­ive, just, lasting and brave peace and there is Arab, regional and internatio­nal interest to achieve that.”

The 2002 Arab Peace Initiative called for establishi­ng an independen­t Palestinia­n state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Al-Safadi said the annexation is a “blatant violation of internatio­nal law” that undermines attempts to achieve peace and a two-state solution based on the lines of June 4, 1967.

“Our work continues to focus on preventing annexation and find a real horizon to re-launch serious and effective negotiatio­ns,” al-Safadi said.

Jordan has been working on mobilizing internatio­nal support to halt Israel’s annexation plans, which would give Israel sovereignt­y over some 30 percent of the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.

Amman signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994.

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