Israel's vice premier says the Palestinians would violate their peace accords with Israel by seeking recognition of an independent state of Palestine at the United Nations.

Moshe Yaalon told Army Radio on Wednesday that Israel would "have to take steps to make it clear that there will be heavy price" if the Palestinians go ahead with their plan to petition the U.N. General Assembly for statehood on Nov. 29.

He said it would be a "flagrant" breach of the accords of the early 1990s but stopped short of saying they would be rendered void.

But another official said Israel was sending out the message to world leaders that it would consider the accords nullified if the statehood bid goes ahead.

He spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential comments.