Abbas: PA No Longer to Abide by Accords With Israel, U.S.

Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas says the Palestinian Authority will no longer be committed to any signed agreements with Israel or the United States, following Israel’s pledge to annex large parts of Yehudah and Shomron and the Jordan Valley.

It was not immediately clear how the announcement, which was made at a Palestinian leadership meeting late on Tuesday, would be implemented. The Oslo accords and other agreements in the 1990s created the Palestinian Authority and govern its political, economic and security relations with Israel.

“The Palestinian Liberation Organization and the State of Palestine are no longer committed to all signed agreements and understandings with the Israeli government and the American government, including the security commitments,” Abbas said.

He said Israel would now have to “uphold responsibilities before the international community as the occupying power.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has vowed to annex the Jordan Valley and Jewish communities in Yehudah and Shomron in line with President Donald Trump’s Middle East plan, which overwhelmingly favors Israel and was rejected by the Palestinians.

Netanyahu formed a new government earlier this week. The coalition agreement allows Netanyahu to present an annexation proposal to the government as soon as July 1.

Most of the international community is opposed to annexation, which many fear would make it impossible to create a viable Palestinian state.

It’s unclear to what extent the Palestinian leadership will follow through on the latest announcement. The security coordination serves the interests of both Abbas and Israel because it is largely aimed at the Hamas Islamic terror group, his main rival.

Abbas has always been opposed to violence, meaning Palestinian security forces would likely continue to act against any armed groups, even without formal coordination with Israel.