Trump secretly authorized U.S. Cyber Command to carry out a retaliatory cyberattack that disabled Revolutionary Guard systems that control rocket and missile launches, several officials told The Associated Press. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the operation.

The Pentagon declined to confirm the cyberattack reports: "As a matter of policy and for operational security, we do not discuss cyberspace operations, intelligence or planning," spokeswoman Heather Babb said in a statement.

The cyberattack was in retaliation for the drone as well as for recent attacks on oil tankers in the region, according to reports. Iran has denied involvement in the oil tanker attacks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed Washington's intentions to impose additional sanctions on Iran.

"Thanks to crippling American sanctions, Iran is facing unprecedented economic pressure as a result of its aggression. So I was pleased to hear President Trump make clear yesterday that pressure will continue and that pressure will increase", Netanyahu said during a joint press conference with US National Security Adviser John Bolton ahead of the security summit between the United States, Israel and Russia.

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• Trump's 'deal of the century' will likely give Israel control over West Bank settlements
• Syria: Israel Using "Ethnic Cleansing Policy" in West Bank
• Israeli Occupation Forces attack West Bank journalists
• Israel approves construction of 2,000 illegal homes in West Bank (just one of dozens of such reports)
• Israeli minister seeks to snuff out hopes for a Palestinian state with one million settlements in the West Bank
• Palestine: A group of Israeli colonizers invade two buildings, force families out
• Illegal Israeli settlers stone Palestinian woman to death in West Bank village of Nablus
• Israel considers racially-segregated bus lines in West Bank
• Illegal Israeli settlers destroy olive trees in West Bank with impunity (one of many incidents)
• Israeli soldiers destroy West Bank drinking water pipeline that had been funded by UN
• Council of Rabbis chairman calls for poisoning of Palestinian water supply
• Video shows Israeli settlers & army responsible for West Bank fires, contradicting IDF statement
• Israel demolishes three Palestinian schools in West Bank days before reopening
• Israel wants to annex 60% of West Bank, expel 4% of Palestinian population
• Israel stripped 140,000 Palestinians of residency rights engaging in a systematic policy of illegal displacement
• We're staying!: Netanyahu says that even with peace deal West Bank must remain occupied
• Deputy defense minister claims Israel can annex West Bank and still not give Palestinians right to vote
• Nelson Mandela's grandson visits West Bank and says 'Israel is the worst apartheid regime'

"During Shimon Peres as a Prime Minister in Israel (1995-96), he tried that approach of talking economic ease to the Palestinians instead of talking about a political solution," but no results were achieved.

Nimr reminded of a World Bank report, which said that Palestine would earn $5.5 billion extra every year if it had access to the Mediterranean and Dead Sea, which is now blocked by Israel.

The plan is basically an ultimatum for Palestine, which may be coerced into accepting it due to the lack of other options, former US diplomat Jim Jatras told RT.

"This is depending on the assumption that Palestinians have no place to go. 'You don't like this deal? - great. Wait till the next one which is even worse for you. You don't like that? Wait till the next one, which will be even worse.'"

The Palestinians are rejecting the US plan because "the only purpose for the Americans is Israel's prosperity," Nimr said. Jatras agreed that Palestinians understand that it would be skewed in favor of Israel, with not only Israelis retaining settlements in the West Bank, but further expanding their control over land and water resources.

For years, the Arab countries were saying that they will only normalize relations with Israel after it withdraws from all land occupied in 1967, including the West bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights and Jerusalem, Nimr explained.

Improving relations with the Arab states, especially those in the Gulf, had been Israel's goal for a long time. "They have a huge potential economically from the Israeli point of view. Now, the Israelis can imagine a huge market for their products; the investment; the money coming into Israel. All that would make Israel absolutely prosperous, while ending the issue of Palestine. It's a win-win for Israel, absolutely," he said.

"If they really care about the Palestinian economy they should start by lifting the siege of Gaza, stopping Israel stealing our money and our resources and our land and opening up our territorial waters, our air space and our borders so we can freely export and import," Ashrawi said, according to Reuters.

Ashrawi called for the US to exert pressure on Israel to end Tel Aviv's "occupation" of Palestinian territories, observing that the Trump team embarked on an "entirely wrong approach."

"They can end the occupation, which is the most basic requirement for prosperity. There can be no prosperity under occupation," she said.

Comments from Hamas representative Ismail Rudwan were more blunt. Rudwan asserted that Hamas rejects Kushner's plan in its entirety and will only accept if Israel, which Hamas considers an occupant, leaves Palestinian territories.

"We reject the 'deal of the century' and all its dimensions, the economic, the political and the security dimensions," Rudwan said.

"The issue of our Palestinian people is a nationalistic issue; it is the issue of a people who are seeking to be free from occupation. Palestine isn't for sale, and it is not an issue for bargaining. Palestine is a sacred land and there is no option for the occupation except to leave."