September 26, 2025
‘I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank,’ Trump announces
“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank,” Trump declared to reporters in the Oval Office, emphasizing “It’s not going to happen.”
“Enough is enough, it’s time to halt this,” Trump stated.
Israel has maintained control over the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day war. The Palestinian Authority controls certain areas within the West Bank.
Since 1967, Israel has been constructing settlements in the West Bank, actions that are deemed illicit by international law. Israel recently approved a disputed settlement project in the West Bank that would bisect the territory and negatively impact the feasibility of a Palestinian state.
Trump fielded questions on the matter following a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to explore solutions to the Gaza conflict.
Netanyahu has faced pressure from conservative allies to annex the Palestinian territories, which has raised alarm and drawn condemnation.
On Tuesday, Trump convened with officials and leaders from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan to discuss the conflict in Gaza.
The meeting transpired at the UN, alongside the annual General Assembly.
“The Arab and Muslim countries made their stance very clear to the president regarding the threat of any form of annexation in the West Bank and the risk it poses, not only to the potential for peace in Gaza, but also to any enduring peace whatsoever,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud informed reporters at the United Nations on Thursday.