"Israeli Ministers Reject Palestinian Statehood in Postwar Plan, Emphasize Direct Negotiations"

Top Israeli ministers, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, rejected the idea of Palestinian statehood, following a report that the United States was working on a post-war plan that included establishing a Palestinian state. They argued that a Palestinian state would be an existential threat to Israel, citing recent conflicts and attacks. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that any political initiative not beginning with a Palestinian state as a full member of the United Nations was "doomed to failure."