Pakistan, May 11 -- RIYADH - US President Donald Trump's long-desired goal of normalizing ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel faces a major setback due to the ongoing war in Gaza. Despite his planned visit to Riyadh, the war has complicated efforts to move forward on Saudi-Israel normalization talks.

Behind the scenes, US officials are quietly urging Israel to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza, which is one of Saudi Arabia's conditions for resuming talks on normalizing relations with Israel. The Gaza conflict has placed the issue of normalization on hold, according to Gulf sources and a US official familiar with the situation.

Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, recently expressed optimism about expanding the Abraham Accords, which fa...