Rubio arrived in Israel on Sunday and Netanyahu said the trip, which included them praying at the Western Wall together, proved how strong US-Israeli relations were.
Standing beside Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, Rubio endorsed Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas on the battlefield. While US wants the Islamist group to negotiate, lay down its weapons and free 48 hostages that it still holds, “it may require ultimately a concise military operation to eliminate them,” Rubio said.
Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union, triggered the war with an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 that killed 1,200 people. Around 460 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza.
Rubio also suggested the Abraham Accords — a series of deals that saw a few Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates recognize Israel five years ago — could be expanded. That’s an important goal for Trump, but one that looks increasingly challenging given the anger toward Israel among Middle Eastern governments as the war in Gaza continues. Their frustration only increased after the Sept. 9 strikes on Qatar.
On Monday evening, Gulf leaders, including Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, met in Doha and condemned Israel’s attacks on Qatar. Saudi Arabia previously described them as a “criminal act.”
Qatar, along with Egypt, has been the main interlocutor between Israel and Hamas since their war started.
