President Donald Trump has declared that he will not permit Israel to annex the occupied West Bank, rejecting calls from far-right members of Israel’s governing coalition who have urged the extension of sovereignty over the territory.
“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 on Thursday. “There’s been enough. It’s time to stop now.”
The remarks came as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in New York ahead of his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday. Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister would respond to Trump’s comments upon his return to Israel.
The statement followed days of speculation that Trump might recognise Israeli control over settlements in the West Bank, a move feared by British officials and others as retaliation for the recent recognition of Palestine by the United Kingdom, Australia, France and several European states. Arab and European leaders had mounted an intensive lobbying effort to dissuade the White House from such recognition.
Netanyahu has faced growing pressure from political allies to pursue annexation, a prospect that has alarmed Arab governments. Several leaders met Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly earlier this week to warn of the grave consequences of such a step. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, said Trump “understands very well” the risks involved.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank, captured by Israel during the 1967 war, have expanded steadily in recent decades. Around 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 recognised internationally. A controversial settlement scheme known as the E1 project, which would bisect the West Bank and sever it from East Jerusalem, received final approval in August, drawing widespread condemnation.
Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, a leading figure in Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, has previously declared that the idea of a Palestinian state is “being erased from the table”. Most of the international community regards the settlements as illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical claims as well as security concerns.
As world leaders gathered in New York, the United States unveiled a 21-point Middle East peace plan aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. The plan was shared with officials from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan, according to US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Trump, who has consistently positioned himself as Israel’s strongest ally, said he had spoken with Netanyahu and regional leaders on Thursday and expressed optimism that progress could be made. “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.
The war in Gaza, now approaching its second anniversary, has drawn widespread international condemnation. Local health authorities report more than 65,000 Palestinians killed, while a global hunger monitor has warned that parts of the territory are experiencing famine. Despite mounting pressure, no ceasefire has yet been agreed.
