West Bank off-limits? Trump reportedly pledges to Arab states Netanyahu won’t annex territory

Ex-President tells Arab bloc at UN that Netanyahu will be held back, but no ceasefire breakthrough yet

U.S. President Donald Trump told Arab leaders during a closed-door meeting at the United Nations on Tuesday that he would not allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex the West Bank, according to a Politico report citing six people familiar with the discussion.

Two sources said Trump was firm, promising that Israel 'would not be allowed' to absorb the West Bank, which is under the governance of the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas.

Despite the assurance, insiders cautioned that a ceasefire to end Israel’s nearly two-year war with Hamas remained distant.

The war and the white paper

Multiple sources told Politico that Trump and his team circulated a white paper at the meeting, detailing the administration’s framework for ending the conflict. It reportedly included the annexation pledge, governance plans, and postwar security proposals.

The war, now stretching into its second year, escalated earlier this month when Israel targeted Hamas officials in Qatar during peace talks, broadening the battlefield beyond Gaza.

Arab concerns and the Abraham Accords

Arab leaders attending the meeting pressed Trump on the risks of any Israeli incursion into the West Bank. Two people briefed on the talks said they warned that such a move could collapse the Abraham Accords, Trump’s signature foreign policy achievement in his first term, which normalised ties between Israel and several Arab states.

So far, no official readout has been released by either Washington or the Arab participants.

Erdogan calls meeting 'fruitful'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who joined the talks, described the meeting as 'fruitful' during an interview with Fox News later that evening, though he offered no details. Erdogan and Trump are scheduled to meet again Thursday at the White House.

Ahead of the sit-down with leaders of eight Arab countries, Trump had told reporters it was his “most important” meeting of the day. But he left the UN headquarters without answering questions, and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.

Frustration among Arab states

Arab leaders have grown increasingly frustrated with Trump’s opposition to recognising a Palestinian state, even as he has continued to back Netanyahu’s military campaign. For many in the region, Trump’s promise on the West Bank will be judged not by words but by whether it leads to a credible path to peace.