Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: United States (US) President Donald Trump vowed Thursday to stop Israel from annexing the West Bank as he presses to end the Gaza war, ahead of a high-stakes visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, AFP reported. Netanyahu will address the United Nations on Friday and later meet Trump in Washington as Israeli ministers muse of annexing the West Bank in response to recognition of a Palestinian state by France, Britain and several other Western powers. But Trump, who has offered crucial support to Netanyahu as Israel comes under mounting global pressure, made clear he would not back annexation, which far-right Israelis see as a way to kill any real prospect of an independent Palestine. &lsquo;I will not allow&rsquo;&quot;I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank,&quot; Trump told reporters at the White House. &quot;No, I will not allow it. It&#39;s not going to happen.&quot; &quot;There&#39;s been enough. It&#39;s time to stop now,&quot; he said, Reuters reported. Trump voiced optimism about ending nearly two years of devastating war, echoing the confidence expressed a day earlier on the sidelines of the United Nations by his roving envoy, Steve Witkoff, AFP reported. &quot;We&#39;re getting pretty close to having a deal on Gaza and maybe even peace,&quot; said Trump, who also spoke to Netanyahu by telephone on Thursday. Trump met Tuesday at the United Nations with the leaders of key Arab and Muslim nations who warned him of consequences if Israel moved ahead. &quot;I think the president of the US understands very well the risks and dangers of annexation in the West Bank,&quot; Saudi Arabia&#39;s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told reporters. Netanyahu nonetheless has defied Trump in recent months with attacks in Iran, Qatar and Syria amid US diplomacy. Netanyahu&#39;s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump&#39;s remarks, according to Reuters. Israeli settlements have grown in size and number, opens new tab since Israel captured the West Bank in a 1967 war. They stretch deep into the territory with a system of roads and other infrastructure under Israeli control, further slicing up the land. No role for Hamas: AbbasPalestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in his own address to the United Nations on Thursday sought to allay concerns as he called for all countries to recognize Palestinian statehood, AFP reported. The veteran 89-year-old president of the Palestinian Authority was forced to address the General Assembly by video after the United States took the unusual step of denying him a visa to come to New York. Abbas made clear he was different from Hamas, which took control of Gaza in 2007. &quot;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,&quot; Abbas said in a speech that received loud applause by delegates watching the video. He distanced himself from the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023 as well as frequent accusations by Israel&#39;s supporters that the Palestinians are denying the rights of Jews. &quot;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 do they represent their just struggle for freedom and independence,&quot; Abbas said. &quot;We reject confusing the solidarity with the Palestinian cause and the issue of antisemitism, which is something that we reject based on our values and principles,&quot; he said. Abbas nonetheless called the nearly two-year Israeli assault in Gaza &quot;one of the most horrific chapters of humanitarian tragedy of the 20th and 21st century&quot; -- by implication putting it alongside the Holocaust against the Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II. Israel&#39;s offensive has killed more than 65,500 Palestinians, according to health ministry figures that the United Nations considers reliable.

Middle East

Americas

Trump vowed to not allow Israel from annexing the West Bank, ahead of Netanyahu's UN visit. Netanyahu nonetheless has defied Trump in recent months with attacks in Iran, Qatar and Syria amid US diplomacy.

'Time to stop': Trump vows Israel will not annex West Bank

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Arab and Muslim countries made clear to US President Donald Trump the dangers of Israeli annexation of the West Bank, Saudi Arabia&#39;s foreign minister said on Thursday, Reuters reported. &quot;Some countries made very clear to the president the danger of annexation of any type in the West Bank and the risk that poses not just to the potential of peace in Gaza, but also to any sustainable peace at all. And I feel confident that President Trump understood the position of the Arab and Muslim countries,&quot; Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud told reporters at the United Nations. Trump&rsquo;s assuranceAccording to NBC News, President Donald Trump has assured Arab leaders that he will not allow Israel to annex the already occupied West Bank, sources told NBC News, amid fears of retaliation from the US ally after a host of countries moved to recognize Palestinian statehood. Trump made the comments Tuesday, according to two sources who were in the room, as he presented his 21-point plan for peace in the Middle East to Arab leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.&nbsp; The comments were first reported by Politico.&nbsp;

Arab and Muslim nations warned Trump about the dangers of Israeli West Bank annexation, citing risks to peace in Gaza and overall stability. Trump assured leaders he would prevent such annexation during the UN General Assembly.

Articles tagged with "Annexation"

'Time to stop': Trump vows Israel will not annex West Bank

Muslim countries warned Trump of Israeli West Bank annexation dangers, Saudi says