Palestinians welcome Trump's warning against West Bank annexation

The Palestinian Authority has welcomed US President Donald Trump's firm opposition to Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank, characterizing the American position as a positive step toward regional stability. Palestinian spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh issued a statement Thursday urging Trump to "continue making significant efforts that could achieve security and stability in the Middle East" while reaffirming commitment to President Mahmoud Abbas's political positions.

Trump's Strong Warning to Israel

President Trump delivered a clear warning to Israel in a Time Magazine interview published Thursday, stating unequivocally that his administration would not permit annexation of the West Bank. "Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened," Trump declared, marking one of his strongest public statements regarding Israeli territorial expansion into occupied Palestinian territories.

Legislative Context and International Law

The US position comes after Israel's Knesset granted preliminary approval Wednesday to two separate bills seeking to annex West Bank territories, including the Ma'ale Adumim settlement bloc. Both measures require three additional parliamentary readings before becoming law. Such annexation would effectively terminate the two-state solution framework endorsed by numerous UN resolutions, following last July's International Court of Justice opinion that declared Israel's occupation illegal and demanded settlement evacuations.

Broader Diplomatic Implications

The Palestinian statement emphasized alignment with "international and Arab legitimacy" while acknowledging Trump's intervention as potentially significant for preserving diplomatic solutions to the conflict. The exchange occurs amid ongoing regional diplomacy and follows previous US administration positions that have alternately supported and cautioned against unilateral Israeli actions in occupied territories.