Israeli Finance Minister Proposes West Bank Annexation Amid UAE Warning

Israeli Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has proposed annexing about 82 percent of the West Bank, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assert Israeli sovereignty over the area, a move opposed by the United Arab Emirates which warns it could jeopardize the Abraham Accords. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory supports the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla's mission, emphasizing its compliance with international law and warning against any interception as potential aggression. In related geopolitical developments, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed openness to diplomacy with Ukraine, though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insists talks must occur on European soil with EU involvement, while the US pushes for meetings between the two leaders. Separately, silver prices have surged past $40 an ounce for the first time since 2011, driven by strong investor demand and its designation as a potential critical mineral by the US Department of the Interior, signaling its growing strategic importance amid economic and defense considerations.