Israel expressed commitment on Monday to a US proposal to take over Gaza and displace its Palestinian residents, as Washington's top diplomat held talks in Saudi Arabia where he was expected to push the plan opposed by Arab states.

Arriving in the kingdom after talks in Israel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio -- on his first visit to the Middle East -- met de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the State Department said.

A Saudi source earlier told AFP that Riyadh would host a regional summit later this week "to discuss Arab alternatives" to President Donald Trump's widely criticised plan for Gaza.

Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait will be represented at the Friday summit, the source said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was "committed to US President Trump's plan for the creation of a different Gaza", also promising that after the war, "there will be neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority" ruling the territory.

The United States, Israel's top ally and weapons supplier, says it is open to alternative proposals from Arab governments, but Rubio has said for now, "the only plan is the Trump plan".

The proposal lacked detail but Trump said the Palestinians in Gaza -- who number more than two million -- would be resettled in........

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