Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely announce the annexation of three large settlement blocs located in the West Bank shortly after July 1 but set aside the Jordan Valley area for a later date, three senior Israeli government officials told The Times of Israel on Wednesday.

The three West Bank settler communities include Maale Adumim, Ariel and Gush Etzion, the Times reported. 

But Israel's Foreign Minister, Gabi Ashkenazi, said on Wednesday that Jerusalem has not yet decided whether to extend Israel’s laws to parts of the West Bank during a press conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas. 

During Israel's year-long political crisis, culminating finally in a unity government in March, Netanyahu repeatedly promised to extend Israeli sovereignty over parts of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley.

The move ostensibly has the blessing of the Trump administration, but according to American and Israeli officials, there is still "a lot of work" that needs to be completed by the mapping teams, in charge of delineating borders across the region. 

Netanyahu is reportedly confident that Israel can immediately annex the three large settlements as they are "relatively well-defined areas" and require little if any additional planning.

Likewise, the addition of these three settlements would avoid tensions with Jordan, according to Israeli officials.

But Amman has repeatedly warned that any annexation moves by Israel "would not go unanswered."

This first step could thus be ratified by the Blue and White party, while its chairman, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, has signaled that he opposes unilateral annexation.

The defense minister warned Tuesday of possible "hostile reaction" from the international community if Israel were to advance on its plans for annexation.