Jerusalem (Web Desk): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly planning to reinstate the annexation of the West Bank as a key priority for his government when Donald Trump takes office, according to Israeli media sources.
In private discussions, Netanyahu indicated that he would push for the formal annexation of parts of the West Bank, a goal he had attempted to advance during the Trump administration.
Israeli broadcaster KAN reported that Netanyahu intends to place the annexation issue back on the agenda once Trump becomes president, reflecting a shift in strategy from previous years.
His push aligns with statements made by Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister, who recently instructed government agencies to prepare the groundwork for extending Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank.
Smotrich, who has long advocated for full Israeli control over the territory, remarked that the conditions are now favorable to take action, following the relative reluctance of the Biden administration to support such measures.
The 2020 attempt to annex parts of the West Bank was part of Trump's Middle East peace initiative, which proposed Israeli control over nearly 30% of the territory, including the strategically important Jordan Valley and all Jewish settlements.
However, the plan faced significant international opposition and was ultimately put on hold due to the lack of broader diplomatic backing, including from the United States under President Biden.
International law has consistently regarded both the West Bank and East Jerusalem as occupied territories, with most countries considering Israeli settlements in the area to be illegal.
The United Nations (UN) and other global bodies have repeatedly called for the cessation of settlement activity and the establishment of a two-state solution, based on the pre-1967 borders.
Meanwhile, the ongoing escalation of violence in Gaza, which has led to widespread Palestinian casualties, has further stoked tensions across the region. Since the start of Israel's military offensive in Gaza in October 2023, more than 43,000 Palestinians have been killed, with many others injured.
These developments have been compounded by heightened unrest in the West Bank, where over 780 Palestinians have died from Israeli military action in recent months.
Compounding the political tensions, a landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July 2023 declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories illegal, including its settlement activities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The ICJ's opinion further pressured Israel to withdraw from the occupied areas and cease settlement expansion, reinforcing the global consensus that Israeli actions in the West Bank violate international law.
Netanyahu's push to revive annexation efforts could mark a pivotal moment in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, deepening divisions both within Israel and with the international community.
Such a move is expected to provoke strong condemnation from Palestinian leaders, as well as from key international actors, and could further diminish hopes for a negotiated peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.
