Netanyahu Shelves West Bank Annexation Plan Following UAE Pressure

Gaza — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suspended his government’s plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank after warnings from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to Israeli media, Netanyahu removed the annexation issue from his cabinet’s agenda, shifting focus instead to security developments in the Palestinian territories.

Diplomatic sources said the move came after strong criticism from the UAE, which cautioned that any attempt to incorporate West Bank territory into Israel would jeopardize the Abraham Accords — the 2020 agreement that normalized relations between the two countries.

Earlier, Israel’s finance minister had proposed annexing four out of five designated areas of the West Bank, a suggestion that prompted a sharp reaction from the UAE, declaring annexation a “red line.”