A senior United States official has reportedly warned that Washington could move forward with its deal with Saudi Arabia without Israeli involvement, unless Israel changes course, according to Israeli media.
The Jerusalem Post reported that the unnamed official met on Monday with families of captives still held in Gaza. During the meeting, the official said President Donald Trump is increasingly frustrated with Israel’s stance on the stalled ceasefire talks.
Trump intends to press ahead with the Saudi deal regardless of Israel’s position, said the report on Wednesday.
The US president is expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates next week. Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to Washington is lobbying the White House to add a brief stop in Israel, two Israeli officials told Axios.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the US official told attendees Israel could face “a much heavier price” if it continues to oppose a ceasefire deal.
“President Trump is determined to move forward with a significant deal with Saudi Arabia, even without Israeli involvement”, the official reportedly said. “The ceasefire agreement with the Houthis is just a prelude. If Israel doesn’t come to its senses, even the ‘ Deal of the Millennium ‘ will happen without it”.
The report said families of the captives hoped the meeting would result in greater international pressure on Israeli leaders to act. Some attendees said they were alarmed by the unusually blunt tone from the official as Washington has long been viewed as Israel’s closest diplomatic ally.
The Trump administration has sought to realign regional alliances, focusing on normalising ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia. “We hope Israel will board the historic train that has already left the station”, the US official reportedly said. “But the US will not wait at the platform”.
The official also echoed concerns from the families that ongoing Israeli military operations could endanger the captives.
What is the proposed US-Saudi-Israel deal?
The proposed US-Saudi Arabia-Israel deal aims to normalise ties between Riyadh and Tel Aviv in what would mark a historic diplomatic shift, brokered by Washington.
Building on the controversial 2020 Abraham Accords, the agreement would see Saudi Arabia formally recognise Israel – abandoning its long-held demand for a full Israeli withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territory as outlined in the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
Saudi Arabia would receive access to advanced weapons and a defense pact from the US, and Riyadh would be urged to cut back on its growing ties with China and Russia.
US support for a Saudi civil nuclear program is another pillar of the agreement, despite ongoing uranium enrichment disagreements.
Recent reports suggest Riyadh may agree to accept symbolic concessions, such as halting settlement expansion, if the US offers enough in return. Saudi Arabia initially insisted on concrete steps toward a two-state solution for Palestinians.
Source: Aljazeera
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