 
After several Western countries–Australia, Canada, France, U.K.–announced they would recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly meeting in late September, Israel is considering the annexation of areas of the occupied West Bank. These recognitions have caused diplomatic upset and prompted Israel’s consideration of retaliatory moves against the Palestinian Authority. One of these moves is an immediate, direct move: the U.S. State Department recently announced it will deny or revoke entry for senior Palestinian officials, including the fictional preclusion of President Mahmoud Abbas from attending assembly in New York.
Strategic Maneuvers: Exploring Annexation Options
Senior Israeli officials have privately communicated to European counterparts—including Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and the Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar—that at least for annexing portions of the West Bank, recognition will have to happen first. According to one European aide, Dermer even suggested annexing all of “Area C,” which is roughly 60% of the West Bank.
The Israeli government is evidently weighing several scenarios:
Maximalist option: Annex “Area C” (~60% of the West Bank).
Middle way: Annex settlements and routes of access (~10%).
Balanced option: Annex settlements, routes of access and Jordan Valley (~30%).
For the moment, the policy is likely to be discussed by Israel’s security cabinet, where ultranationalist members of the coalition, as well as settler groups, are applying significant pressure for annexation.
3. Consequences & Precedents: International Ramifications
International legal experts warn that claiming Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank territory would violate the UN Charter and Geneva Convention—and worsen scrutiny from the International Criminal Court, which already looks at the settlement process as a possible war crime. European officials warn this would lead to sanctions from the EU and partner states. Arab states might also respond with suspension or downgrading the peace agreement with Israel, further ruining any chance of progress toward Israeli–Saudi normalization. Historical context also favors caution. In 2020, then-President Trump twice halted Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plans for annexation—first in January, when Netanyahu offered to annex 30% of the West Bank from Trump’s Peace Plan, and a second time in June when Netanyahu proposed an annexation, and instead worked to announce the Abraham Accords with the UAE. click here for the source
