White House official says Trump sees stability in the Palestinian territory as a ‘goal to achieve peace in the region’.
Published On 9 Feb 2026
United States President Donald Trump opposes Israel’s annexation of the occupied West Bank, a White House official has said.
“A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure, and is in line with this administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region,” the official said on Monday, according to the Reuters news agency.
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The comment from the White House comes amid international outrage after Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, and defence minister, Israel Katz, announced new measures on Sunday extending Israeli control over occupied Palestinian territory.
The measures also make it easier for Israelis to acquire land for new settlements, which are illegal under international law.
Eight Muslim-majority countries denounced Israel’s move in a statement on Monday, saying the “illegal Israeli decisions and measures” were “aimed at imposing unlawful Israeli sovereignty” over Palestinian territory.
Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates said the Israeli measures were an attempt at “entrenching settlement activity, and enforcing a new legal and administrative reality in the occupied West Bank, thereby accelerating attempts at its illegal annexation and the displacement of the Palestinian people”.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the United Kingdom and Spain also joined the rising chorus of condemnation, with the UN chief saying Israel’s actions were “destabilising” and corrosive to the prospects for a two-state solution, according to his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.
The UK called on Israel to reverse its decision.
“The UK strongly condemns the Israeli Security Cabinet’s decision yesterday to expand Israeli control over the West Bank,” the government said in a statement.
“Any unilateral attempt to alter the geographic or demographic make-up of Palestine is wholly unacceptable and would be inconsistent with international law. We call on Israel to reverse these decisions immediately,” it added.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow shortly.
