WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States and Israel do not agree “100%” on the West Bank but will ultimately reach a conclusion.
“We have had a discussion, big discussion, for a long time on the West Bank, and I wouldn't say we agree on the West Bank 100%, but we’ll come to a conclusion,” Trump said when asked if he is concerned about Israeli settler violence in the West Bank and whether he had conveyed a message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the occupied territory.
“It'll be announced at an appropriate time, but he will do the right thing,” he said, referring to Netanyahu, who was standing next to him during a joint press conference following their meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed at least 1,103 Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, injured nearly 11,000 and detained around 21,000 since October 2023, Palestinian figures showed.
In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
- 'Very short period of time' for Hamas’ disarmament
Trump and Netanyahu also discussed the steps to advance to the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan, including a full Israeli withdrawal and the disarmament of the Palestinian group Hamas.
When asked if Israel will withdraw its forces before Hamas is fully disarmed, Trump said Hamas would be given a “very short period of time” to disarm under an agreement, without offering a specific timeline.
“They're going to be given a very short period of time to disarm, and we'll see how that works out,” he said.
Trump said US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner would oversee the process from Washington’s side.
“It’s going to be horrible for them,” he said, warning that Hamas would face serious consequences if it does not comply with the plan.
Despite the ceasefire agreement taking effect in October, Israel continues to keep Gaza’s crossings largely closed, preventing the entry of mobile homes and reconstruction materials and worsening the humanitarian crisis affecting over 2 million people.
Palestinian officials say that at least 414 people in Gaza have been killed since the ceasefire.