Donald Trump has said he will not allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The US president told White House reporters ahead of Netanyahu's address to the UN General Assembly on Friday: I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank... It's not going to happen.
Trump, who will meet Netanyahu on Monday, also said a ceasefire deal over the war in Gaza was pretty close.
Israel is facing increasing global pressure to end the conflict and occupation of the West Bank, as a wave of Western states formally recognise an independent Palestinian state. Far-right Israelis view annexation as a means of preventing a Palestinian state from being created.
Ultranationalists in Netanyahu's governing coalition have repeated calls for Israel to annex the West Bank - part of the Palestinian territories - outright.
The UK and Germany say they have warned Israel against annexation, while UN Secretary General António Guterres stated that such a move would be morally, legally and politically intolerable.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday that he had spoken to Netanyahu as well as other Middle Eastern leaders. We're getting pretty close to having a deal on Gaza, and maybe even peace, Trump remarked.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his readiness to work with world leaders to implement a peace plan announced by France, despite being barred from attending the UN meeting due to US restrictions.
Abbas thanked countries like Canada, Australia, the UK, and Portugal for recognizing Palestinian statehood, followed by others like France, Belgium, and Luxembourg.
The US currently remains opposed to recognizing Palestine, stating that it would reward Hamas.
Recent escalations include the closure of the only crossing between the West Bank and Jordan, affecting access for over two million Palestinians.
The ongoing military campaign in Gaza has resulted in significant casualties, while efforts from institutions like the European Commission aim to impose trade sanctions on Israel's governance.
Netanyahu's government faces a crucial decision point as international and domestic pressures mount regarding the future of Palestine and potential annexation policies.
