Overview

• At a Jerusalem press conference, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich presented Defence Ministry–branded maps proposing Israel annex roughly 82% of the West Bank while excluding six major Palestinian cities.
• Smotrich said the plan aims for “maximum territory and minimum population,” urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to adopt it, and indicated it was drafted by the Defence Ministry’s Settlement Administration.
• Netanyahu has not endorsed immediate steps, and Israeli officials told CNN he will meet senior ministers Thursday to weigh options ranging from limited settlement blocs to annexing Area C or the Jordan Valley.
• UAE official Lana Nusseibeh warned annexation would be a red line that would end the pursuit of regional integration and called on Israel to suspend the plans.
• The push comes as France, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Portugal plan to recognize Palestinian statehood this month, while the Palestinian Authority condemned annexation moves and the ICJ’s 2024 opinion deemed the occupation and settlements illegal.