US State Department: Israeli actions 'imperilling' viability of Palestinian state

The US State Department said Thursday that “current trends on the ground” in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) are “imperilling” the “viability” of a “two-state solution.”

The remarks, made by deputy spokesperson Mark Toner, came in response to a question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent statement, in which he once again dismissed the prospect of a Palestinian state in the foreseeable future.

Toner said that the State Department was “aware” of Netanyahu’s remarks. “We continue to believe that the status quo is not sustainable”, the spokesperson added.

During the press briefing, Toner was also quizzed about the ongoing hunger strike of Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qeq, who has been detained by Israel without charge or trial (so-called ‘administrative detention’).

“We would hope that – for a resolution of the hunger strike that does not, obviously, result in Mohammed al-Qeq’s loss of life”, the State Department official responded.

“We believe all individuals, including prisoners, should be treated humanely and have their human rights, including the right to due process, upheld and respected.”

Toner said that the administration has “expressed our concerns, whether it’s about this particular case or the larger issues involved, about our concerns about – as I said, about respecting human rights, including the right to due process, and that those rights be respected and upheld.”