Vance criticizes the Israeli parliament’s vote to annex the West Bank, and says the move was an “insult.”

JERUSALEM (AP) — Vice President J.D. Vance on Thursday criticized a vote in Israel’s parliament the previous day on annexing the occupied West Bank, saying it amounted to an “insult” and went against Trump administration policies.

Hard-liners in Israel’s parliament narrowly passed a symbolic primary vote in support of West Bank annexation — in an apparent attempt to embarrass Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while Vance was still in the country.

Read more: Netanyahu says before his meeting with Vance that Israel is “not protected” by the United States

The bill, which only required a simple majority of lawmakers present in the chamber on Wednesday, was approved by a vote of 25 to 24. But the bill is unlikely to pass several rounds of voting to become law or win a majority in the 120-seat parliament. Netanyahu, who opposes it, also has tools to delay or defeat it.

On the tarmac of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport before leaving Israel, Vance said that if the Knesset vote was a “political ploy, then it is a very stupid political ploy.”

“I personally take some offense,” Vance said. “The Trump administration’s policy is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel.”

Netanyahu is struggling to avoid early elections as factional differences in right-wing parties, some of which have become dissatisfied with the ceasefire and the security sacrifices it requires of Israel, become increasingly apparent.

He watches: The International Court of Justice finds that Israel must allow UN workers to provide humanitarian assistance in Gaza

While many members of Netanyahu’s coalition, including Likud, support annexation, they have backed away from those calls since US President Donald Trump said last month that he opposed such a move. The United Arab Emirates, a key ally of the United States and Israel in pushing for peace in Gaza, said any annexation by Israel would be a “red line.”

The Palestinians seek to establish their own independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which Israel occupied in the 1967 Middle East War. Israel’s annexation of the West Bank would destroy hopes for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians — an outcome that most of the world supports.

Reconstruction of Gaza and the return of the Palestinians

Vance also revealed new details about US plans for Gaza, saying he expects reconstruction to begin soon in some “Hamas-free” areas of the Strip, but warning that rebuilding the territory after a devastating two-year war could take years.

“The hope is to rebuild Rafah within the next two or three years, and in theory half a million people could live (there),” he said.

He watches: Vance says the Gaza ceasefire is going better than expected but there is “very difficult” work ahead

The war caused widespread destruction in the coastal Palestinian sector. The United Nations estimated in July that the war left about 61 million tons of debris in Gaza. The World Bank, the United Nations and the European Union estimated earlier this year that the cost of rebuilding would be about $53 billion.

The war between Israel and Hamas led to the deaths of at least 68,280 Palestinians, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its statistics. The Ministry maintains detailed records of victims that UN agencies and independent experts generally consider reliable. Israel objected to it without providing its own tally.

An intense American push towards peace

Earlier this week, Vance announced the opening of a civilian-military coordination center in southern Israel where about 200 American soldiers will work alongside the Israeli military and delegations from other countries to plan stabilization and reconstruction in Gaza.

The United States is seeking support from other allies, especially Gulf Arab states, to form an international stabilization force to be deployed in Gaza and train a Palestinian force.

Read more: Israel says the Rafah crossing will remain closed “until further notice,” while Hamas demands the return of the hostages’ remains.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said before his trip to Israel: “We would like to see Palestinian police forces in Gaza that are not affiliated with Hamas, and they are doing a good job, but they still need to be trained and equipped.”

Rubio, who will meet with Netanyahu later on Thursday, also criticized efforts by far-right Israeli lawmakers to push for the annexation of the West Bank.

Israeli media have referred to the constant display of US officials visiting Israel to ensure Israel adheres to its side of the fragile ceasefire as “sitting Bibi.” The term, which uses Netanyahu’s nickname “Bibi,” refers to an old campaign ad when Netanyahu presented himself as “Bibi’s babysitter” whom voters could trust with their children.

In Gaza, there is an urgent need for medical care

In the first medical evacuation operation since the start of the ceasefire on October 10, the head of the World Health Organization said on Thursday that the organization had evacuated 41 patients in critical condition and 145 of their companions from the Gaza Strip.

In a statement published on X, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on countries to show solidarity and help some 15,000 patients still waiting for approval to receive medical care outside Gaza.

His calls were echoed by an official at the United Nations Population Fund, who on Wednesday described the “tremendous devastation” he witnessed during his recent travel to Gaza, saying there was no such thing as “a normal birth in Gaza now.”

Andrew Sapperton, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, told reporters how difficult the agency’s work was due to the lack of functioning or even existing health care facilities.

He added: “The sheer scale of the devastation looks like a set in a dystopian movie. Unfortunately, this is not fiction.”

Court hearing on journalists’ access to Gaza

Separately, on Thursday, the Israeli Supreme Court held a hearing on whether to open the Gaza Strip to international media, and gave the state 30 days to present a new position in light of the new situation under the ceasefire.

Israel has prevented journalists from entering Gaza since the war broke out with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The Foreign Press Association, which represents dozens of international news organizations including The Associated Press, asked the court to order the government to open the border.

In a statement after Thursday’s decision, the Palestinian Journalists Association expressed its “disappointment” and described the Israeli government’s position of denying access to journalists as “unacceptable.”

The court rejected a request from the People’s Protection League early in the war, over government objections on security grounds. The group filed a second request for access in September 2024. The government has repeatedly delayed the case.

Palestinian journalists covered the two-year war for international media. But like all Palestinians, they were subjected to severe movement restrictions and food shortages, were repeatedly displaced and worked under great risk. About 200 Palestinian journalists were killed by Israeli fire, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

“It is time for Israel to lift the closure and allow us to do our work side by side with our Palestinian colleagues,” said Tanya Kramer, president of the Palestinian League in Palestine.

Lee reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Joseph Federman in Jerusalem, Melanie Liedman in Tel Aviv, Karim Chehayeb in Beirut, and Farnoush Amiri in New York contributed to this report.