NEW YORK, Sept 26 — US President Donald Trump on Thursday pledged to block Israel from annexing the West Bank, while pushing for an end to the Gaza war ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington.
NEW YORK, Sept 26 — US President Donald Trump on Thursday pledged to block Israel from annexing the West Bank, while pushing for an end to the Gaza war ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington.
Netanyahu is expected to address the United Nations on Friday before meeting Trump, as Israeli ministers discuss annexation following recent recognition of a Palestinian state by France, Britain and other Western powers.
Although Trump has been a key supporter of Netanyahu during a period of intensifying global criticism of Israel, he drew a clear line on annexation.
“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. No, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen,” he told reporters at the White House.
Trump voiced optimism about reaching a breakthrough to end nearly two years of conflict, echoing similar remarks by his envoy Steve Witkoff.
“We’re getting pretty close to having a deal on Gaza and maybe even peace,” he said, adding that he spoke with Netanyahu by phone earlier in the day.
On Tuesday, Trump met with leaders from Arab and Muslim nations at the UN, who cautioned of serious repercussions if Israel proceeded with annexation.
“I think the president of the US understands very well the risks and dangers of annexation in the West Bank,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said.
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s two holiest sites, has considered recognizing Israel in a move of major symbolic weight. The United Arab Emirates, which normalized ties with Israel in 2020 in an agreement backed by both Netanyahu and Trump, has also warned against annexation.
Despite this, Netanyahu has pressed forward with strikes in Iran, Qatar and Syria, even as Washington pursues diplomacy.
Abbas rules out Hamas role
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, barred from traveling to New York after being denied a US visa, addressed the UN General Assembly by video and urged nations to recognize Palestinian statehood.
At 89, Abbas stressed that Hamas would have no part in a future Palestinian government.
“Hamas will not have a role to play in governance. Hamas and other factions will have to hand over their weapons to the Palestinian National Authority,” he said, drawing applause from delegates.
Abbas distanced himself from the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, which killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, describing it as unrepresentative of the Palestinian cause.
“Despite all that our people have suffered, we reject what Hamas carried out on October 7—actions that targeted Israeli civilians and took them hostage—because these actions do not represent the Palestinian people, nor their just struggle for freedom and independence,” he said.
He also rejected linking support for Palestine with antisemitism, calling it contrary to Palestinian principles.
Still, Abbas condemned Israel’s Gaza offensive as “one of the most horrific chapters of humanitarian tragedy of the 20th and 21st century,” implicitly placing it alongside the Holocaust.
According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, whose figures are regarded by the UN as reliable, more than 65,500 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s campaign. — AFP
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