US President Donald Trump has declared he will not allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank, in a direct challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition. Speaking from the Oval Office ahead of Netanyahu’s UN address, Trump told reporters: “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. It’s not going to happen.” He added that negotiations on Gaza were “pretty close,” raising hopes for a possible breakthrough in one of the world’s most intractable conflicts.
The announcement comes amid mounting global pressure on Israel to end its military campaign in Gaza and decades of occupation in the West Bank. A wave of Western nations including the UK, Germany, France and Canada have recently recognised an independent Palestinian state, shifting momentum in international diplomacy.
While ultranationalist voices in Israel continue to push for full annexation of Palestinian territories, world leaders have warned against the move. UN Secretary General António Guterres said it would be “morally, legally and politically intolerable,” and Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan cautioned Trump directly on the risks of annexation during meetings at the United Nations.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking by video link to the UN after being barred from travelling to New York, expressed willingness to work with global leaders on a French-backed peace initiative. He thanked the growing number of countries that have recognised Palestinian statehood, stressing that Hamas would play no role in future governance and calling for a Palestinian state to assume full responsibilities for Gaza and the West Bank.
On the ground the humanitarian toll remains staggering. More than 65,000 Palestinians, including thousands of children, have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military offensive following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, which killed about 1,200 Israelis and left hundreds taken hostage. UN agencies warn that over half a million Gazans face catastrophic hunger, while Israel continues to reject accusations of genocide and denies that starvation is occurring.
International backlash against Israel is intensifying with the European Commission moving toward trade restrictions and sanctions, and tech giant Microsoft cutting services to a defence unit accused of mass surveillance in Gaza. Yet Netanyahu has urged Israel to rely on self-sufficiency as criticism grows.
Trump’s rejection of annexation, coupled with rising global recognition of Palestine, marks a critical juncture in the region. Whether this will translate into meaningful progress toward peace remains uncertain, but the stakes have rarely been higher.
