Jerusalem: Israel is reportedly weighing annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank in response to France and other countries recognising a Palestinian state, according to three Israeli officials. The proposal is expected to be discussed further on Sunday, another official said.
The potential extension of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, effectively annexing land captured in the 1967 Middle East war was on the agenda for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security Cabinet meeting late Sunday, which is also expected to focus on the ongoing Gaza war, according to a member of the small circle of ministers.
It remains unclear where any such measure would be applied and when, whether it would cover all Israeli settlements, select settlements, or specific areas such as the Jordan Valley. Any concrete steps would likely require a lengthy legislative process.
Moves toward annexation in the West Bank would almost certainly draw widespread condemnation from the Palestinians, who seek the territory for a future state, as well as from Arab nations and Western countries.
A spokesperson for Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar did not respond to inquiries on whether Saar had discussed the potential annexation with his US counterpart Marco Rubio during his recent visit to Washington. The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The US announced on Friday that it would prevent Abbas from travelling to New York for the UN gathering of world leaders, where several US allies, including France, Britain, Australia, and Canada, are expected to formally recognise Palestine as a state during the UN General Assembly in September.
Israel, facing mounting international criticism over the war in Gaza, is reportedly angered by these pledges. The UN’s highest court in 2024 declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, and its settlements there illegal and called for withdrawal. Israel, however, maintains that the territories are disputed rather than occupied, a stance not widely recognised internationally.
Israel’s previous annexations of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights have similarly failed to gain international recognition. Members of Netanyahu’s ruling coalition have long advocated for formal annexation of parts of the West Bank, citing biblical and historical claims. A previous plan to annex Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley, pledged by Netanyahu, was abandoned in 2020.