Tel Aviv, Israel — Ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’ s visit to Washington, DC, this week, Israel has taken a series of sweeping steps to tighten its grip on the occupied West Bank. The territory is held by the United Nations and the international community for a future Palestinian state. Palestinians watch from balconies as an Israeli military vehicle drives through the village of Beit Awwa near Hebron, in the occupied West Bank. In an interview with Time Magazine in October, Trump said he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Last May, Israel authorized the largest expansion of settlements in the West Bank in decades, approving the establishment of 22 new settlements.

Source: Egypt Independent February 09, 2026 10:49 UTC