Vance criticises Israel’s West Bank annexation move, calls it an ‘insult’
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Jerusalem: US Vice President JD Vance has sharply criticised Israel’s parliament for its vote on West Bank annexation, calling the move an “insult” and contrary to Trump administration policies aimed at maintaining the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Speaking at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport before departing, Vance said the vote appeared to be a “very stupid political stunt” and reiterated that the Trump administration’s policy opposes annexation of the West Bank.
The Knesset passed a symbolic preliminary vote on annexing the occupied West Bank, sponsored by hard-line parliamentarians, with only one Likud member supporting it. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposed the measure, and the bill is unlikely to pass the multiple votes required to become law. While many in Netanyahu’s coalition back annexation, they have refrained from advancing it following US President Trump’s opposition and warnings from the United Arab Emirates, a key ally in Gaza peace efforts, that annexation would be a “red line.”
The Palestinians seek the West Bank, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, as part of a future independent state, and Israeli annexation would severely undermine prospects for a two-state solution.
Earlier this week, Vance oversaw the opening of a civilian-military coordination centre in southern Israel, hosting 200 US troops working alongside the Israeli military and delegations from other countries planning Gaza’s stabilisation and reconstruction. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced plans to visit the centre and appoint a Foreign Service official to support the top US military commander in the Middle East, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper. The US is seeking Gulf Arab nations’ support to form an international stabilisation force in Gaza and train a Palestinian police force independent of Hamas. Rubio also criticised Israeli far-right lawmakers’ annexation push and is scheduled to meet Netanyahu.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. The World Health Organisation reported evacuating 41 critically ill patients and 145 companions since the ceasefire began on October 10. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for global support for the 15,000 patients still awaiting medical care outside Gaza. UN Population Fund officials described the devastation as extreme, with Palestinian women often giving birth amid rubble and without access to proper medical facilities.
Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday held a hearing on whether to allow international journalists access to Gaza, giving the government 30 days to present a new position under the ceasefire. Israel has blocked media entry since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. The Foreign Press Association criticised the ongoing restrictions as “unacceptable,” while Palestinian journalists continue to face severe restrictions, displacement, and danger. Around 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli fire, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, highlighting the urgent need for media access.
With PTI inputs