Trump confirms "Israel" visit will not be part of upcoming Middle East trip

US President Donald Trump confirmed he will not include the Israeli Occupation in his upcoming visit to the Middle East.

His remarks come amid weeks of swirling rumors in diplomatic and national security circles suggesting the president might make a last-minute addition to his itinerary to meet with "Israeli" officials following scheduled visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Read more: Trump to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE from May 13

Trump will visit the Middle East this month on a three-country tour..

It will be his second foreign trip since returning to office, following his planned attendance at the Vatican for Pope Francis's funeral.

Trump "will travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates from May 13 until May 16," Leavitt told a White House press briefing, without elaborating.

Saudi Arabia's top diplomat held talks in Washington earlier this month to lay the groundwork for a visit by Trump in a reprisal of 2017, when the oil-rich, conservative kingdom was the first destination of his first term in office.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, promised in January to pile USD 600 billion into US trade and investments.