WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, directly rejecting calls from far-right Israeli politicians to extend sovereignty over the territory and extinguish prospects for a Palestinian state.
“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Nope, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “There’s been enough. It’s time to stop now.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced pressure from political allies to proceed with annexation, raising alarm among Arab leaders. Several met with Trump on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to voice concerns. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said Trump “understands very well” the grave consequences of any such move.
France, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal have recently recognized a Palestinian state, moves intended to preserve the viability of a two-state solution. Israel has condemned these decisions.
Netanyahu, who arrived in New York ahead of his UN address scheduled for Friday, has not commented on Trump’s latest remarks. Israeli settlements in the West Bank have steadily expanded since the territory was captured in the 1967 war. About 700,000 Israeli settlers now live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the latter annexed by Israel in a move not recognized internationally.
A controversial Israeli settlement initiative known as the E1 project received final approval in August. The plan would bisect the West Bank and sever it from East Jerusalem, land Palestinians claim for a future state. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a key figure in Netanyahu’s coalition, declared at the time that a Palestinian state is “being erased from the table.”
The broader conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to overshadow regional diplomacy. Nearly two years into the war in Gaza, local health authorities report more than 65,000 Palestinian deaths and widespread destruction. About 48 hostages, including 20 believed to be alive, remain in captivity following the Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, that killed around 1,200 people and led to 251 kidnappings.
As Israeli forces pressed deeper into Gaza City on Thursday, local health officials said at least 19 more people were killed in strikes. A global hunger monitor has warned that parts of the enclave are suffering from famine.
International pressure on Israel has mounted. Italy and Spain deployed naval ships on Thursday to support the Global Sumud Flotilla, a group of roughly 50 civilian boats attempting to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. The flotilla has come under drone attack in recent days.
At the UN, Washington has circulated a 21-point Middle East peace plan, shared Tuesday with leaders and officials from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan, according to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump said he discussed the plan with Netanyahu and regional representatives, adding that progress was possible.
“We want the hostages back, we want the bodies back and we want to have peace in that region. So we had some very good talks,” he said.
Most of the international community regards Israeli settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law. Israel disputes this, citing historic and biblical claims to the land and arguing that settlements enhance security.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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