Israel’s government formally rejects the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

The Israeli government on Sunday approved a resolution rejecting any international attempts to impose a Palestinian state on Israel, saying that Israel would have to directly negotiate any “permanent” arrangement with the Palestinians.

The largely symbolic move followed recent comments from some of Israel’s allies suggesting that they might consider simply recognizing a Palestinian state ahead of any agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who brought the resolution to his cabinet, described its approval as a “declarative decision” that was needed “in light of remarks that have been heard recently in the international community.”

The resolution — which bolsters a position Mr. Netanyahu has already staked out several times in recent days — comes as the Biden administration has been trying to broker a deal for the normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia. U.S. and Saudi officials have said that the prospect of that happening hinges on Israel agreeing to work toward a two-state solution — meaning the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Mr. Netanyahu has rebuffed recent pressure from President Biden to agree to that path after the war in Gaza is over and in recent weeks doubled down on his opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state.

The final wording of the Israeli government resolution appeared to have been carefully crafted with the aim of accommodating both ultranationalist members of Mr. Netanyahu’s right-wing government, who oppose the very notion of negotiations with the Palestinians, and the centrists who joined the government to help oversee the war in Gaza after the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7.