U.S. President Donald Trump has firmly stated that he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, dismissing pressure from some far-right Israeli politicians who want to extend sovereignty and undermine hopes for a Palestinian state.
Speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump told reporters, “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Nope, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen. There’s been enough. It’s time to stop now.”
The remarks come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in New York to address the United Nations. Netanyahu’s office said he would respond after returning to Israel. In recent years, Israeli settlements in the West Bank have expanded significantly, creating infrastructure and roads that further divide the territory Palestinians claim for a future state.
One particularly controversial project, E1, which would bisect the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, received final approval in August. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist in Netanyahu’s coalition, claimed at the time that a Palestinian state was “being erased from the table.”
Arab and Muslim leaders met with Trump earlier this week to stress the severe consequences of any annexation—a message Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said the U.S. president “understands very well.” Currently, about 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, most of the international community considers these settlements illegal under international law.
Meanwhile, the U.S. presented a 21-point Middle East peace plan at the United Nations, aimed at ending the nearly two-year-long conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Trump emphasized discussions with Netanyahu and Middle Eastern leaders are ongoing, saying, “We want the hostages back, we want the bodies back, and we want to have peace in that region. We had very good talks.”
The Gaza war has drawn widespread international condemnation, with over 65,000 Palestinians killed and parts of the territory facing famine. Israeli forces continued advancing in Gaza City, and airstrikes killed at least 19 people on Thursday. International efforts are underway to deliver aid, with Italy and Spain deploying naval ships to assist a flotilla trying to bypass Israel’s blockade of Gaza, despite drone attacks on the vessels.
