President Trump ruled out Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria while signaling progress on a Gaza hostage deal after talks with Netanyahu and regional leaders.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday that he will “not allow” Israel to extend sovereignty over Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) — drawing a clear line on one of Israel’s most sensitive national issues.
“I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. No, I will not allow it. It’s not going to happen,” Trump declared.
Pressed on whether he had discussed the matter with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump replied:
“Yeah, but I’m not going to allow it, whether I spoke to him or not. I did, but I’m not allowing Israel to annex the West Bank. There’s been enough. It’s time to stop now.”
The president’s remarks mark a sharp divergence from Netanyahu’s long-standing commitment to applying Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, land that is historically and biblically Jewish yet internationally disputed.
Talks With Netanyahu and Regional Leaders
Trump confirmed he spoke with Netanyahu earlier Thursday in what he described as a “very good” conversation. He expressed hope that a hostage release deal could soon be finalized.
“I had some very, really good talks today on Gaza, with both the Middle East representatives and kings and all of the top leaders in the Middle East,” Trump said.
“And we had also a very good conversation with Bibi Netanyahu, trying to get the hostages back, and we’re trying to get the end of the Gaza situation. It’s really bad, very bad.”
At a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the same day, Trump said an international effort is underway to end the fighting and secure the release of the 48 hostages still held by Hamas.
“I had a great meeting with [Middle East] leaders at UNGA — and I think we’re close to getting some kind of a deal done. We want to get the hostages back. I have to get the hostages back.”
When asked whether he and Erdogan were aligned on Gaza, Trump admitted:
“Well, I don’t know his stance, I can’t tell you about that.”
Outlook
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff suggested Wednesday that a breakthrough could be achieved within days, though he declined to share details.
While Trump’s hardline stance on Judea and Samaria is certain to disappoint many Israelis, his focus on hostages and ending the Gaza war reflects his priority: stopping the bloodshed and preventing Hamas from exploiting international pressure to win concessions.
