With the arrival of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a packed week of trips to Israel by senior figures from the Trump administration enters its final stage.
As with any official US visit to Israel, the host country’s officials were heaping praise on the guests. This time it was for achievements such as securing the release of hostages from Gaza, and President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan for reshaping the Middle East. Even Vice President JD Vance’s book got a mention from Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
It has been less clear cut from the American side. Mr Rubio is a long-time, staunch defender of Israel, typical of the US political establishment, but even he began his trip with a warning to Israel, over recent and largely symbolic moves towards annexing the occupied West Bank.
“The President has made clear that’s not something we’d be supportive of right now and we think it’s potentially threatening to the peace deal,” Mr Rubio said. It was yet another message that the Trump administration expects Israel to keep supporting the Gaza ceasefire deal.
Israeli leaders have praised the Trump deal that secured the release of hostages and paused hostilities in Gaza, but delicate negotiations lie ahead on the next phases of the plan. Issues to be resolved include disarming Hamas and the shape of a new international peacekeeping force.
On Monday, The New York Times reported that the flurry of visits was intended to stop Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from derailing the deal. The claims emerged as the first group of US officials arrived, led by Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, both key negotiators in the agreement.
Mr Netanyahu has walked away from previous Gaza ceasefires and is widely accused in Israel of being willing to prolong the war to guarantee his political future. Many in his far-right government also want to persist with fighting to displace all Gazans and build settlements in the territory.
Fears about the future of the deal reached new heights after a round of ferocious Israeli bombardment on the strip on Sunday, following a disputed incident in which two Israeli soldiers were killed.
The steady stream of senior American officials in the aftermath, which some have coined as “Bibi-sitting” after Mr Netanyahu’s nickname, suggests the deal is still at the forefront of the US administration’s mind.
As he left, Mr Vance embarked on a stinging rebuke of Israel, including over the West Bank annexation bill, that made clear this was far from a normal US visit. He described the vote as an “insult” and “very stupid”.
“The policy of the Trump administration is that the West Bank will not be annexed by Israel,” he said. "That will continue to be our policy and if people want to take symbolic votes they can do that, but we certainly weren’t happy about it."
From the beginning of his visit he was frank about what the US views as Israel’s responsibilities to uphold the deal. Speaking at the Israeli Prime Minister’s office on Wednesday, Mr Vance said: “We have a very difficult task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas but to rebuild Gaza; to improve the lives of the people of Gaza but also to ensure that Hamas no longer poses a threat to our friends in Israel. It's not easy. I think the Prime Minister knows that as well as anyone. But it's something that we are committed to in the Trump administration.
“I didn't know what to expect, honestly," Mr Vance added. "I know the President was here last week to welcome the hostages home and sign the agreement. A week later, there's a lot of work to be done but I feel optimistic about where we stand."
