Trump says he won’t let Netanyahu annex the West Bank

President Trump said Thursday he will not allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

The announcement follows private assurances Trump gave Arab leaders and effectively shuts down Netanyahu’s annexation plans.

The Netanyahu government had been weighing annexation in response to recent recognition of a Palestinian state by several Western nations.

Arab leaders, including those from the UAE, warned the U.S. that such a move would endanger the Abraham Accords, one of Trump’s key foreign policy achievements.

Earlier this week, Trump met leaders from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and other Muslim-majority countries, who made halting annexation a condition of supporting his Gaza peace plan.

Trump said he held positive calls with both Netanyahu and Arab leaders and believes a deal on Gaza is possible soon, Axios has reported.

Netanyahu is expected to meet Trump at the White House on Monday to discuss the plan and Israel’s path forward.