Trump says West Bank annexation ‘not going to happen,’ Gaza deal ‘pretty close’

CAIRO – 26 September 2025: US President Donald Trump declared Thursday that he “will not allow” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the Israeli-occupied West Bank, while signalling that a ceasefire deal for Gaza is “pretty close.”

Trump’s remarks come ahead of Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations General Assembly scheduled for Friday.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said: “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank… It’s not going to happen.”

He added: “We’re getting pretty close to having a deal on Gaza, and maybe even peace.”

Israel is facing mounting international pressure to halt its deadly war in Gaza, which has claimed more than 65,000 lives and driven the enclave toward famine.

Israel, which has recently intensified its bombardment of Gaza City and has ordered its nearly one million residents to evacuate, is also facing allegations of genocide following a UN report last week.

Arab and Muslim states, along with many Western countries, have also warned against any Israeli move to annex the West Bank.

This follows widespread international recognition of a Palestinian state by several major actors, including France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia during the UNGA.

Some Israeli ministers have called for annexing parts of the West Bank in retaliation.

The UK and Germany have cautioned against such moves, while France, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have described annexation as “a red line.”

On Thursday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s rejection of any attempts to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

Such annexation would undermine the widely endorsed two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which envisions Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace within two sovereign states.

Amid Israel’s growing diplomatic isolation, the US this week unveiled a “21-point plan” aimed at achieving peace in Gaza. The initiative came as Trump met with Arab and Muslim leaders on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UNGA.

A source briefed on the matter told CNN that the plan includes the release of all captives and a permanent ceasefire, alongside a framework for governing Gaza without Hamas and a phased Israeli withdrawal from the enclave.

Regional leaders reportedly welcomed much of the US proposal but suggested additional provisions, including a ban on West Bank annexation by Israel, preservation of the status quo in Jerusalem, an end to the war in Gaza, the return of all captives held by Hamas, increased humanitarian aid to Gaza, and addressing Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law.

President Sisi welcomed Trump’s initiative to end the war in Gaza, expressing hope that it will be implemented at the earliest opportunity.