Israeli leader insists there can be no Palestinian state, ahead of U.N. vote leaving that door open

TEL AVIV — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Sunday to oppose any attempt to establish a Palestinian state, a day before the U.N. Security Council plans to vote on a U.S.-drafted resolution on Gaza that leaves the door open to Palestinian independence.

Netanyahu has long ruled out Palestinian independence, asserting that creating a Palestinian state would reward Hamas and eventually lead to an even larger Hamas-run state on Israel’s borders. But as the U.S. attempts to push forward with its Gaza ceasefire framework, he faces heavy international pressure to show flexibility.

The Security Council is expected to vote on a U.S. proposal for a United Nations mandate that would establish an international stabilization force in the Gaza Strip despite opposition from Russia, China and some Arab countries.

Hamas and other Palestinian factions warned Sunday against the U.S. proposal, calling it an attempt to impose an international mandate on Gaza that is biased toward Israel and deprives Palestinians of the right to manage their own affairs. In a statement, the groups said the force must not involve Israel and must be under direct U.N. supervision.

The statement also rejected any reference in the U.S. proposal to disarming Palestinians in Gaza. Netanyahu on Sunday noted the proposal calls for Gaza to be demilitarized and Hamas to be disarmed, telling his Cabinet: “Either this will happen the easy way, or it will happen the hard way.”

The U.S., under pressure from countries expected to contribute troops to the force, revised the resolution with stronger language about Palestinian self-determination. It now says that Washington’s plan may create a “credible pathway” to Palestinian statehood. A rival Russian proposal uses even stronger language in favor of Palestinian statehood.

The creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel is seen internationally as the only realistic way to resolve the conflict for the long term.

Netanyahu’s hard-line governing partners have urged him to take a tough stand on the calls for Palestinian independence. Speaking to his Cabinet, Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel’s opposition to a Palestinian state has “not changed one bit.”

The Israeli leader added that he has been staving off any advances toward a Palestinian state for decades, and is not threatened by external or internal pressure. “I do not need affirmations, tweets or lectures from anyone,” he said.

That pressure increased during the war in the Gaza Strip. In September, after the U.K., Australia and Canada formally recognized a Palestinian state, Netanyahu denounced the countries as proffering a “prize” to Hamas.

More on Gaza

Meanwhile, Israel’s military said its troops on Sunday killed someone who crossed into territory the army controls in northern Gaza and “posed an immediate threat to them.”

In Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, families in the crowded Muwasi tent camp picked their way along flooded streets after the season’s first strong rainfall that started Friday. Water dripped through torn tents onto belongings. Children splashed barefoot or in sandals, or tried to ride bikes.

“Our bathroom is made of fabric. Everything is made of fabric, and it’s worn out from the sun, so the rain pours down on us. It’s indescribable suffering,” said one displaced Palestinian, Abdallah Abu Quta.

Settler attacks in the West Bank

The Israeli leader also made his first public comments about a surge in attacks by Jewish settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, saying the violence was the work of a small minority. Palestinians and human rights groups say the violence has been widespread and accused the government of turning a blind eye.

Palestinian health officials said Sunday that a 19-year-old Palestinian man became the seventh person to be killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank in the last two weeks. The surge in violence has been accompanied by a rise in settler attacks.

The Israeli military said it was operating early Sunday in Nablus, in the northern West Bank, when the man hurled an explosive device at soldiers, who fired in response.

The military later said its forces had killed someone in the Fara area of the West Bank who “attempted to harm them,” but offered no details. There was no immediate Palestinian comment.

In addition to Sunday’s clashes, the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank said six teenagers — ages 15 to 17 — were shot and killed by Israeli fire in four separate shootings over the last two weeks.

On Sunday, Netanyahu cast settler violence as the work of a few extremists. But Palestinians and rights groups say the violence is carried out by settlers with impunity from Israel’s far-right government. Settler leaders and their allies hold top positions in Netanyahu’s government, including the Cabinet ministers who oversee the national police force and West Bank settlement policies.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week said there’s concern that the events in the West Bank “could undermine what we’re doing in Gaza.”

U.N. Human Rights Commissioner spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan has said the U.N. recorded more than 260 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank in October, more than in any month since 2006.

Lidman writes for the Associated Press.