Overview
- Israel’s parliament advanced a symbolic West Bank annexation bill by 25–24 in a preliminary vote that Netanyahu opposes and that faces long odds of becoming law, drawing joint rebukes from key Arab states.
- Vice President JD Vance called the vote an “insult” and a “very stupid political stunt,” reiterating that annexation is off the table under current U.S. policy.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that annexation efforts could threaten the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, yet said he was encouraged by progress after meeting Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
- President Trump, in remarks published Thursday, said Israel would forfeit U.S. support if it annexed the West Bank and asserted it “won’t happen” given U.S. commitments to Arab partners.
- The U.S. opened a civilian‑military coordination center in southern Israel with about 200 troops and is shaping a multinational stabilization force for Gaza as WHO reported the first medical evacuations since the truce began.