PTI file photo
US President Donald Trump assured Arab and Muslim leaders during a meeting on Tuesday that he would not permit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the West Bank, as per sources familiar with the discussion, reports Politico. Ahead of his meeting with representatives from eight Arab and Muslim countries at United Nations headquarters, Trump told reporters it was his “most important” engagement of the day. “We want to end the war in Gaza. We’re going to end it. Maybe we can end it right now,” Trump said before the meeting.“This is my most important meeting,” he added. “But this is the one that’s very important to me because we’re going to end something that should have probably never started.”The meeting included representatives from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan.
Trump stands firm on West Bank
Two sources said Trump was steadfast in his stance, assuring that Israel would not be allowed to annex the West Bank, which is under the Palestinian Authority rather than Hamas. Another source noted that despite this assurance, a ceasefire to end Israel’s nearly two-year conflict with Hamas remained far from agreement. Two additional sources said Trump and his team presented a white paper detailing the administration’s plan to end the war, including the annexation pledge as well as proposals for governance and postwar security, as cited by Politico.After the meeting, Trump waved to reporters without commenting, and the White House did not provide an immediate statement.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the meeting “fruitful” in a Fox News Channel interview Tuesday evening, though he did not provide further details. Erdogan and Trump are scheduled to meet again at the White House on Thursday.Arab leaders have previously expressed frustration over Trump’s opposition to recognizing a Palestinian state and his ongoing support for Netanyahu’s offensive against Hamas, which intensified earlier this month when Israel targeted Hamas officials in Qatar during peace talks.Arab and European officials have warned that formally annexing the West Bank would effectively end any remaining prospects for a two-state solution, with Arab states insisting it is a red line that would block further Israeli integration into the Middle East.
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