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The Trump administration has privately warned Israel against annexing the West Bank in response to Western countries recognizing a Palestinian state, while preparing to present Arab and Muslim leaders with a Gaza peace plan on Tuesday.
A senior Israeli official told The Times of Israel that, despite the U.S. warning, Jerusalem does not consider the discussion closed and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to raise the annexation issue during his White House meeting with President Donald Trump on Sept. 29.
The warning comes as Trump prepares to meet with leaders from Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia and Pakistan to discuss principles for ending the Gaza war and establishing post-war governance.
According to two U.S. officials and two Arab officials cited by Axios, Trump will present the most concrete proposal to date for ending the conflict, including Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and post-war governance without Hamas involvement.
"Tomorrow's meeting could be fairly significant. We have a pretty good idea of the contours for ending the war," a U.S. official told Axios.
"We want to present what we think is the only viable path forward, and we want regional buy-in and support to make it successful," the U.S. official added.
The U.S. wants Arab and Muslim countries to send military forces to Gaza to enable Israel's withdrawal and secure funding for the transition period and rebuilding efforts.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the meeting with the leaders of the eight nations but did not provide details about the agenda.
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Israel had threatened to annex the West Bank after several countries, including Britain, France and Canada, announced plans to recognize Palestinian statehood.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar reportedly told his U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio during a Washington meeting last month that Tel Aviv was preparing to annex the occupied West Bank in the coming months, according to Israeli media reports.
Netanyahu had made veiled threats after Britain, Canada and Australia's recognition decisions, stating "Wait and see" and promising to respond after returning from the United States.
An Israeli official acknowledged that Netanyahu is aware of the U.S. plan's outlines but knows there will be elements the Israeli government won't support, particularly regarding the Palestinian Authority's future involvement in Gaza.
"There will be bitter pills we'll have to swallow," the Israeli official said to Axios.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said on Monday that his country was prepared to send soldiers to a peacekeeping force in Gaza.
An Arab official told Axios: "Our understanding is that Trump wants to get our feedback and support for the U.S. plan to end the war and then push it forward."
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