Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and U.S. President Donald Trump (right). Reuters Yonhap News. 

U.S. President Donald Trump warned that if Israel proceeds with its plans to annex the Jordan River West Bank, "Israel will lose all U.S. support."

In an interview with U.S. news magazine Time, released on the 23rd (local time), Trump said, "That won't happen because I promised the Arab countries," and made the remarks.

The interview was conducted by phone on the 15th.

President Trump has been strongly opposed to Israel's annexation of the West Bank.

However, far-right hardliners within Israel are showing controversial movements related to the West Bank.

On the 22nd, a preliminary approval for a bill to apply Israeli law to the West Bank narrowly passed the Israeli Parliament (Knesset).

Although the possibility of it becoming law is slim, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu currently opposes it, then-Vice President JD Vance, who was visiting Israel at the time, expressed his displeasure, saying, "If it was a political show, it was a very foolish one. I personally feel insulted."

President Trump also stated that he persuaded Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the ceasefire negotiations for the Gaza war, telling him, "You cannot fight the world. You can fight individual battles, but the world is against you. And Israel is a very small place compared to the world."

Regarding Israel's airstrike on Qatar, where the leadership of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group fighting in Gaza, is hiding, he called it a "terrible strategic mistake." However, he added, "I actually told the Emir of Qatar that this was one of the things that brought us all together. It was so abnormal that it made everyone do what they had to do."

When asked if he had plans to visit Gaza, President Trump responded, "I will," without specifying a timeframe, and said, "They asked me to chair the Peace Committee."

When asked if he was considering the Palestinian Authority (PA) to govern Gaza after the war, he said, "It's a little too early to form an opinion." He also predicted that Saudi Arabia would join the 'Abraham Accords,' which normalize relations with Israel, within this year.

Yonhap News