U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday it is up to Israel to make its own decisions on whether to annex settlements in the West Bank, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to do despite international opposition.
Speaking to reporters ahead of Netanyahu's July 1 target date, Pompeo said extending Israeli sovereignty was a decision "for Israelis to make."
Senior aides to U.S. President Donald Trump began discussions on Tuesday on whether to give Netanyahu the green light for annexation, which has drawn condemnation from the Palestinians, U.S. Arab allies and a number of other foreign governments.