President Trump said on Thursday that he would not allow Israel to annex the Israeli-occupied West Bank, after assuring leaders of Arab and Muslim-majority nations of his stance on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank,” he said in the Oval Office. He added: “There’s been enough. It’s time to stop now.”
Mr. Trump’s remarks came on the eve of a speech by Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, at the General Assembly, where several countries declared their recognition of a Palestinian state this week.
Israeli officials have recently suggested that their government could annex at least part of the West Bank in retaliation for decisions by nations like Britain, Canada and France recognizing Palestinian statehood.
Mr. Netanyahu has faced growing calls from right-wing allies to extend sovereignty over the West Bank. On Sunday, Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right minister, called for the government to adopt the measure “immediately.”
Mr. Trump offered assurances on annexation during a meeting with the Arab and Muslim-majority nations in New York on Tuesday, according to three people familiar with the matter, including an Arab official. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details.
The meeting included the president of Turkey, the emir of Qatar, the king of Jordan, the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, the prime minister of Egypt and other regional and Muslim leaders.
President Emmanuel Macron of France told France 24 and Radio France Internationale on Wednesday that Mr. Trump agreed with him that Israel expanding settlements in the West Bank was counterproductive and had “nothing to do with Hamas.” Mr. Macron and Mr. Trump met on the sidelines of the General Assembly.
The possibility of annexation has prompted rebuke in the Arab world. Palestinian leaders in the West Bank, and much of the world, have long envisioned that the territory would form part of a future independent Palestine.
About three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, which Israel has controlled since the Arab-Israeli war of 1967. Around half a million Israelis also live in the West Bank, in settlements scattered across the territory that the Palestinians and much of the world consider to be illegal.
If Israel unilaterally annexes part or all of the West Bank, it would underscore how distant the prospect of a Palestinian state has become. Many Palestinians, however, say that Israel’s policies toward the West Bank, including stringent restrictions on Palestinian movement and construction in the territory, already amount to a de facto annexation.
Palestinian officials have said that while recognition carries great symbolic value, it does not change the harsh reality experienced by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
On Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu reaffirmed his opposition to Palestinian statehood.
“There will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan River,” he said. “For years, I have prevented the establishment of this terrorist state, facing tremendous pressures at home and abroad.”
During the meeting, Steve Witkoff, the U.S. envoy for peace missions, summarized the details of an American plan to end the war in Gaza, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the conversation. The plan calls for the release of all hostages held in the territory and a cessation of hostilities, the official said.
During the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, about 1,200 people were killed and 250 abducted. Many of the hostages have since been returned to Israel, but the authorities believe that 20 of those still held in Gaza are alive. Hamas has said it would release all remaining hostages in exchange for a permanent end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Mr. Netanyahu has refused to end the war unless Hamas effectively surrenders by disarming and exiling its senior leaders — conditions that the group has publicly rejected.
On Wednesday, Mr. Macron also said he had asked Mr. Trump to pressure Israel to end the war.
“You have a prominent role to play,” he recalled telling Mr. Trump in the interview with French broadcasters. “You, who supports peace and wants to make peace in the world.”
Catherine Porter and Isabel Kershner contributed reporting.
Adam Rasgon is a reporter for The Times in Jerusalem, covering Israeli and Palestinian affairs.
Maggie Haberman is a White House correspondent for The Times, reporting on President Trump.
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