US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had engaged in good talks on the topic of Gaza, including with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Afterwards, Trump said that he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, coming down firmly against the idea.
"I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. I will not allow it. It's not going to happen," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Netanyahu has faced some pressure from right-wing allies to annex the West Bank, prompting alarm among Arab leaders, some of whom met on Tuesday with Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
"I'm not allowing Israel to annex the West Bank. There's been enough. It's time to stop now," he said.Israel captured the West Bank in a 1967 war. The Palestinians have long sought it for a future state, along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
About 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed in a move not recognised by most countries.
Israel refuses to cede control of the West Bank, a position it says has been reinforced since the Hamas-led terrorist attack on its territory, launched from Gaza October 7, 2023.
Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law.
Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the area and saying the settlements provide strategic depth and security.
<strong>Gaza deal talk</strong>s
While international leaders gather at the United Nations in New York, the US presented a 21-point Middle East peace plan in a bid to end the nearly two-year-long war in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
It was shared with leaders and officials from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan on Tuesday, according to US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Trump, who remains Israel's staunchest ally on the world stage, said that he spoke with representatives from Middle Eastern nations and Netanyahu on Thursday and that a deal on Gaza could happen soon.
"We want the hostages back, we want the bodies back and we want to have peace in that region. So we had some very good talks," he said.
Israel has drawn global condemnation over its war in Gaza, which is nearing the two-year mark with no ceasefire in sight. The conflict has caused major destruction and killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas run local health authorities.
A global hunger monitor says part of the territory is suffering from famine.
On the ground, Israeli forces advanced deeper into Gaza City on Thursday and Israeli strikes killed at least 19 people across Gaza, local health authorities said.
International efforts are also continuing to send assistance to help civilians as Israel appears increasingly isolated.
Italy and Spain on Thursday deployed naval ships to assist an international aid flotilla that has come under drone attack while trying to deliver aid to Gaza. The Global Sumud Flotilla is using about 50 civilian boats to try to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza.