Friday 26 / September / 2025
US President Donald Trump said he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank.
"I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding "It's not going to happen."
"There's been enough, it's time to stop," Trump said.
Israel has been occupying the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day war. The Palestinian Authority administers semi-autonomous areas in the West Bank.
Since 1967, Israel has been building settlements in the West Bank which are considered illegal under international law. Israel recently greenlit a controversial settlement project in the West Bank which would split the territory in two and hurt the prospects of a Palestinian state.
Trump answered questions on the topic after a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss resolving the Gaza conflict.
Netanyahu has been facing pressure from right-wing allies to annex the Palestinian territory, prompting alarm and condemnation.
Trump met leaders and officials from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan on Tuesday to discuss war in Gaza.
The meeting took place at the UN on the sidelines of the annual General Assembly.
"The Arab and Muslim countries made very clear to the president the danger of annexation of any type in the West Bank, and the risk that poses, not just for the potential of peace in Gaza, but also to any sustainable peace at all," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud told reporters at the United Nations on Thursday.
https://p.dw.com/p/515bL
