Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his opposition to Israel’s plans to annex the occupied West Bank. This development comes as regional tensions continue to simmer around land ownership and governance in the area.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, this stance was reported by Barak Ravid, a correspondent for Axios News Agency, on the social media platform X. Ravid cited a White House official who emphasized the importance of a stable West Bank for Israel’s security and the administration’s overarching goal of achieving peace in the region. The official stated, “A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region.”
In the past, President Trump has clearly stated his disapproval of Israel’s annexation of the occupied West Bank. This position was reiterated following Israel’s security cabinet’s recent decisions. On Sunday, the cabinet took steps to repeal a law that previously barred the sale of Palestinian land to Jews in the West Bank. Additionally, land ownership records in the area were unsealed, marking a significant shift in policy.
Further actions by the Israeli cabinet included the repeal of a law that transferred building permit authority from the Palestinian municipality to Israel’s civil administration in a Hebron settlement bloc. These changes indicate an expansion of Israeli oversight and enforcement into Areas A and B, addressing alleged issues such as unlicensed construction, water management, and preservation of archaeological and environmental sites.
In the last three years, the Israeli government’s activities have included reviewing proposals for constructing approximately 50,000 settlement units in the West Bank. Additionally, during the war, around 60,000 dunams (equivalent to 14,826 acres) of land were reportedly confiscated, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing conflict over land and sovereignty in the region.