US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Israel to discuss the war in Gaza following Israel’s attack on Hamas members in Qatar, which has drawn international condemnation.
Before his departure, Rubio said US President Donald Trump was unhappy with the Israeli strike on the key US ally, but stressed that the US-Israeli relationship was “very strong”.
“Obviously we’re not happy about it, the president was not happy about it. Now we need to move forward and figure out what comes next,” Rubio said.
His visit comes as Israeli forces continue to destroy residential buildings in Gaza City, forcing thousands to flee ahead of an expected ground offensive to seize the city.
In his remarks at Joint Base Andrews, Rubio added that Trump’s priority remained the return of all hostages and an end to the war. Hamas members had been in Doha to discuss the latest US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza when Israel launched its strikes.
When asked whether the strike on Doha complicated Qatar’s willingness to work with the US, Rubio said “they’ve been good partners on a number of fronts”.
Qatar – a key US ally in the region and the location of a major American air base – will host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on Monday to discuss next moves.
Doha has condemned Israel’s attack as “cowardly” and a “flagrant violation of international law”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move was “fully justified” because it targeted senior Hamas leaders who organised the 7 October 2023 attacks.
Some 48 Israeli hostages, of whom 20 are believed to remain alive, are being held by Hamas in Gaza. Their families have said Netanyahu is the “one obstacle” preventing their return and reaching a peace deal.
Credit: bbc.com
