Washington (Monitoring Desk): A US official has said that President Donald Trump has categorically rejected any Israeli move to annex the West Bank into Israel. According to the official, stability in the West Bank is fundamental to Israel’s security and aligns with the United States’ position on promoting peace in the region.
The official stated that peace in the West Bank is essential not only for Israeli security but also for overall regional stability, and that the United States supports efforts to reduce tensions in pursuit of this objective.
Meanwhile, Israel’s security cabinet has recently approved controversial measures aimed at facilitating land purchases for settlers in the West Bank, while expanding the powers of Israeli authorities against Palestinians.
Under these decisions, Israeli authorities have been granted broad powers to oversee and take action on the management of certain religious sites, environmental issues, water-related violations, and damage to archaeological sites. Older laws restricting Jewish land purchases in the West Bank have also been repealed.
Under the new policy, the authority to issue construction permits for settlements in several Palestinian areas, including Hebron, has been withdrawn from Palestinian municipal bodies and transferred to Israel, making Israeli approval the sole requirement.
It is noteworthy that Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. The territory is considered a key part of a future Palestinian state, although Israel’s right-wing circles view it as part of a “Greater Israel.” Currently, more than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in illegal settlements in the West Bank, while around three million Palestinians reside in fragmented and restricted areas. According to the United Nations, settlement construction has increased significantly in recent years.
