Israel on February 18 formalised its opposition to what it called the “unilateral recognition” of Palestinian statehood and said any such agreement must be reached through direct negotiations.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brought the “declaratory decision” to a vote in cabinet, which unanimously approved the measure, according to a statement.Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly meeting that the move comes after “recent talk in the international community about an attempt to unilaterally impose on Israel a Palestinian state.”The formal statement, according to his office, reflects that “Israel rejects outright international dictates regarding a permanent accord with the Palestinians. Should an accord be reached, it will only come through direct negotiations between the sides, without preconditions.””Israel will continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Such recognition in the wake of the October 7th massacre will grant a huge, unprecedented reward to terrorism and prevent any future peace accord,” Netanyahu said.