Trump opposes Israeli moves to annex West Bank, White House says

A White House official on Monday restated President Donald Trump’s stance against any move by Israel to annex the occupied West Bank, stressing that stability in the area is essential for regional peace.

The official said that a calm and stable West Bank contributes to Israel’s security and aligns with the US administration’s objective of pursuing peace in the Middle East.

The remarks followed a decision by Israel’s security cabinet a day earlier to approve steps that would further strengthen Israeli control over the West Bank. The measures are expected to open the door to expanded settlement activity in the Palestinian territory.

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the steps, which include scrapping long-standing restrictions that prevented Jewish citizens from buying land in the West Bank. The two ministers confirmed the decision in a joint statement.

Under the new measures, authority over issuing construction permits for settlements in certain parts of Palestinian cities, including Hebron, would be shifted from Palestinian Authority-run municipal offices to Israeli control.

The Israeli cabinet’s decision drew criticism from several countries.

On Monday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey issued a joint statement condemning what they described as illegal Israeli actions. They said the measures were aimed at imposing unlawful Israeli sovereignty, expanding settlements and creating a new legal and administrative reality in the occupied West Bank.