UNITED NATIONS — President Donald Trump privately assured Arab and Muslim leaders on Tuesday that he would not permit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the West Bank, according to six people familiar with the meeting.
Two sources described Trump as unequivocal in his pledge, insisting that Israel would not be allowed to absorb territory governed by the Palestinian Authority. Another source noted, however, that despite the assurance, negotiations toward a ceasefire to end Israel’s nearly two-year war against Hamas remain stalled.
According to two others familiar with the discussions, Trump’s team circulated a white paper detailing the administration’s postwar plan, which included commitments on governance and security alongside the annexation guarantee.
Ahead of the closed-door session with leaders from eight Arab and Muslim nations at U.N. headquarters, Trump told reporters it would be his “most important” meeting of the day. He left without providing a readout, and none of the participants have released an official summary.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later described the talks as “fruitful” in an interview on Fox News but offered no specifics. He and Trump are scheduled to meet again at the White House on Thursday. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
The issue of annexation has emerged as a flashpoint between Washington and Arab capitals. Leaders in the region have voiced frustration with Trump’s refusal to support recognition of a Palestinian state while continuing to back Netanyahu’s campaign against Hamas, which widened earlier this month when Israeli forces targeted Hamas officials during peace talks in Qatar.
Arab officials warned Trump that a move by Israel to formally annex the West Bank would likely trigger the collapse of the Abraham Accords — Trump’s signature Middle East achievement that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations.
Inside Israel, pressure has grown on Netanyahu to pursue annexation following recognition of a Palestinian state by a number of U.S. allies. Far-right members of his coalition see the moment as a chance to achieve a long-standing goal of absorbing the territory, and Netanyahu, facing elections next year, may view the issue as a way to rally his base.
Israel has already expanded Jewish settlements and tightened its control over the West Bank, moves that critics say amount to de facto annexation. Arab and European leaders have warned that formal annexation would effectively end prospects for a two-state solution and derail Israel’s broader integration into the region.
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House on Monday, amid mounting pressure on the U.S. president to leverage his relationship with the Israeli leader. More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began, according to local health authorities, a toll that has intensified calls for Washington to act.
