Israel Weighs West Bank Annexation Amid Pushback

Israeli officials, including settler leader Yossi Dagan and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, are pressing to extend Israeli sovereignty or apply Israeli law to Jewish settlements in the West Bank while saying Israel will not annex areas under Palestinian Authority control. Dagan said he left a New York meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “very concerned,” warning the government could sign off on a Palestinian state; Sa’ar said Israel is also weighing sanctions on Palestinian Authority leaders in response to recent Western recognitions. Final decisions on annexation or other measures are reportedly being deferred until Netanyahu returns from the United States, amid reported U.S. opposition to any West Bank annexation. International reactions noted alongside the deliberations included Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticizing a Gaza aid flotilla for refusing to pause its run and a Taipei Times editorial calling recent recognitions of a Palestinian state belated and selective.