Trump told MBS he expects Saudi-Israeli normalization now that Gaza war is 'over,' Axios reports

U.S. President Donald Trump told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a phone call last month that, since he had brokered an ostensible cease-fire in Gaza, he expected MBS to move toward normalization with Israel, Axios reported on Friday, citing two U.S. officials.

While acknowledging gaps between the Saudi and Israeli demands, the U.S. officials say other American officials have made it clear to Saudia Arabia that they're hoping the Trump-MBS meeting in Washington next week will sow the seeds for normalization.

A U.S. official with direct knowledge of the call, which took place after the "Gaza Peace Summit" in Egypt, said MBS had responded to Trump's request saying he was willing to work on normalization alongside the president's administration.

Saudi Arabia is expected to get a security pledge from Trump during MBS' visit. While it would not necessarily be a full-fledged defense treaty, it could serve as the platform for one.

MBS is also expected to stick to demands for the establishment of a Palestinian state before normalizing relations with Israel. According to Axios, the White House believes the final two clauses of Trump's Gaza plan put Palestinian statehood on the table.