Israel has formalised its opposition to what it called the "unilateral recognition" of Palestinian statehood, and said any such agreement must be reached through direct negotiations, Reuters reports. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, brought the "declaratory decision" to a vote in cabinet, which unanimously approved the measure. Efforts to achieve a two-state solution - a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza alongside Israel - have been stalled since 2014 Middle East crisis: latest updates