U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that he will not permit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a move pushed by far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition government.
Speaking to reporters at the White House ahead of Netanyahu’s upcoming address to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, Trump said:
“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank… It’s not going to happen.”
Trump, who is scheduled to meet Netanyahu on Monday, also revealed that negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza are progressing, stating that a deal was “pretty close.”
Rising Global Pressure
Israel is under mounting international pressure to end both its military campaign in Gaza and its decades-long occupation of the West Bank. A growing number of Western countries — including Canada, the UK, France, and Australia — have recently recognised Palestinian statehood, a move that has further isolated Israel diplomatically.
Annexation of the West Bank is a long-held demand of ultranationalist factions within Netanyahu’s ruling coalition. Critics argue such a move would permanently derail any possibility of a two-state solution and violate international law.
World leaders, including those from the UK and Germany, have warned Israel against unilateral annexation. UN Secretary General António Guterres has called the idea “morally, legally, and politically intolerable.”
Hope for a Ceasefire
During his remarks, Trump said he had spoken with Netanyahu and other Middle Eastern leaders about ending the conflict.
“We’re getting pretty close to having a deal on Gaza — and maybe even peace,” he told reporters from the Oval Office on Thursday.
Abbas Backs Peace Plan
On the same day, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN General Assembly via video link, expressing his readiness to cooperate on a French-led peace initiative.
Abbas, 89, was reportedly barred by the U.S. from traveling to New York for the in-person session.
He thanked countries that recently recognised Palestinian statehood, including Canada, Australia, the UK, France, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and several others.
The United States, however, remains opposed to recognising Palestinian statehood at this time, arguing that doing so would reward Hamas amid the ongoing conflict.
