JERUSALEM: Israel today warned Palestinians against seeking recognition of an independent state, while dismissing the move as a political manoeuvre aimed at boosting Palestinians’ international standing.

“Any unilateral action will undo the framework of past accords and lead to unilateral actions from Israel,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late on Sunday. “There is no substitute for negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority,” he added.

His comments came after chief negotiator Saeb Erakat said the Palestinians intend to ask the UN Security Council to recognise an independent Palestinian state as US efforts to relaunch peace talks flounder.

Environment Minister Gilad Erdan, of Likud party, said the Palestinians were “playing with fire,” and that the move was “a storm in a teacup, an internal manoeuvre aimed at boosting the image of Mahmud Abbas.” And he repeated a threat by another minister on Sunday that if the Palestinians proceed with their move, Israel should annex the parts of the occupied West Bank that house major Jewish settlement blocs. Industry Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer of centre-left Labour says the Palestinian move “betrays the frustration of the Palestinian population.