Israel's foreign minister said Tuesday that annexation of parts of the West Bank "is not currently on the agenda," as the country grapples with a second wave of coronavirus infections.
Gabi Ashkenazi's comments come after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected on July 1 to advance annexation plans that he had loudly touted, but failed to do so and has since gone quiet on the issue.
"We said before July 1 that this date was not sacred. What is sacred is the state of Israel and its security," Ashkenazi said in an interview with Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot.
"We stand by our position and our position is not a secret," he continued. "At the moment it is not on the agenda - there are no discussions and no consultations. We are all committed to taking care of the economy and the disease."
Asked if there was an agreement to postpone the annexation plans, he reiterated: "Currently we are not dealing with this."
Most of the international community has spoken out against any move of this kind.
An Israeli annexation is expected to be based on US President Donald Trump's Middle East plan, which Palestinians have furiously rejected.
Under the US proposal, Israel would get sovereignty over some 30 per cent of the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967. The Palestinians would be left with a discontiguous state on the remaining 70 per cent.
It is unclear exactly how much of the territory Israel seeks to annex.
