Trump: I won’t allow annexation of the West Bank; deal on Gaza and prisoners close

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he had held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the war on Gaza, saying “the talks were good” and that reaching an agreement to halt the fighting and recover hostages was close.

Trump told reporters at the White House: “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. Enough, it is time to stop this,” stressing that recovering the hostages is a top priority. He added: “I think we are close to reaching an agreement, there are about 20 hostages alive and they must be returned.”

The remarks came during a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Washington, where Trump said there was an “international effort to end the war in Gaza,” noting he had recently met with regional leaders to discuss ways to end the fighting.

On relations with Ankara, Trump said he might soon lift sanctions on Turkey if his talks with Erdogan “go well.” Washington imposed sanctions on Turkish defense industries in 2019 after Ankara purchased the Russian S-400 missile defense system.

Trump also said he would discuss with Erdogan the purchase of U.S. fighters, “F-16” and “F-35,” as well as defense cooperation on “Patriot” systems. He praised Turkey’s use of U.S. equipment in its military operations.

Erdogan said he would raise a range of bilateral issues with Trump, including the fighter jets and the Turkish bank Halkbank, which the U.S. has accused of evasion and money laundering to help Iran skirt U.S. sanctions.

Separately, Trump said he seeks to put greater pressure on Moscow to end its war in Ukraine, saying: “We want Erdogan to stop buying Russian oil, because it could have a big impact on Russia.”

He also disclosed he was preparing to issue an “important declaration” on Syria during the day, without providing further details.