JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday totally recommended Israel’s battle goals within the Gaza Strip, pronouncing Hamas “should be eliminated” and throwing the way forward for the shaky ceasefire into additional doubt.
Israel’s Overseas Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomes U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he arrives in Israel, at the first leg of his Heart East shuttle, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Satruday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Picture by means of AP)
Israel’s Overseas Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomes U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he arrives in Israel, at the first leg of his Heart East shuttle, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Satruday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Picture by means of AP)Learn Extra
Rubio met with Israeli High Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem in the beginning of a regional excursion, the place he’s more likely to face pushback from Arab leaders over President Donald Trump’s proposal to switch the Palestinian inhabitants out of the Gaza Strip and redevelop it below U.S. possession.Netanyahu has welcomed the plan, and mentioned he and Trump have a “commonplace technique” for Gaza’s long term. Echoing Trump, he mentioned “the gates of hell could be open” if Hamas does no longer unencumber dozens of ultimate hostages kidnapped in its Oct. 7, 2023, assault that induced the battle. Their remarks got here simply two weeks ahead of the primary segment of the ceasefire is about to finish. The second one segment, wherein Hamas is to unencumber dozens of ultimate hostages in trade for extra Palestinian prisoners, an enduring truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, has but to be negotiated.
Rubio mentioned Hamas “can not proceed as an army or govt drive.”
“So long as it stands as a drive that may govern or as a drive that may administer or as a drive that may threaten through use of violence, peace turns into inconceivable,” Rubio mentioned. “It should be eliminated.”Such language may complicate efforts to proceed talks with Hamas, which, in spite of struggling heavy losses within the battle, stays intact and in regulate of Gaza.
The Israeli army in the meantime mentioned it performed an airstrike early Sunday on individuals who approached its forces in southern Gaza. The Hamas-run Inside Ministry mentioned the strike killed 3 of its policemen whilst they have been securing the access of support vehicles close to Rafah, at the Egyptian border.Hamas mentioned that assault used to be a “severe violation” of the ceasefire and accused Netanyahu of seeking to sabotage the deal.
Resuming the battle may doom the rest hostagesResuming the battle can be a loss of life sentence for the rest hostages and won’t reach annihilating Hamas, which survived a 15-month Israeli onslaught and briefly reasserted regulate over Gaza when the ceasefire took grasp closing month.Netanyahu has signaled readiness to renew the battle after the present degree and has presented Hamas a possibility to give up and ship its best leaders into exile. Hamas has rejected this kind of state of affairs.Netanyahu additionally has but to approve the access of cell houses and heavy equipment into the Gaza Strip, as required through the ceasefire settlement. Hamas had threatened to carry up the discharge of hostages closing week over the problem, elevating fears the ceasefire may resolve, ahead of continuing with the discharge of 3 captives in response to what it mentioned have been assurances from Arab mediators.An Israeli legitimate, talking on situation of anonymity in step with laws, mentioned the problem could be mentioned within the coming days and that Israel used to be coordinating with america.In any other signal of the 2 allies last ranks, Israel’s Protection Ministry mentioned it gained a cargo of two,000-pound (900-kilogram) MK-84 munitions from america. The Biden management had paused a cargo of such bombs closing yr over considerations about civilian casualties in Gaza.
Israel’s Overseas Minister Gideon Sa’ar shakes arms with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he arrives in Israel, at the first leg of his Heart East shuttle, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Picture by means of AP)
Israel’s Overseas Minister Gideon Sa’ar shakes arms with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as he arrives in Israel, at the first leg of his Heart East shuttle, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Picture by means of AP)Learn Extra
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Israel at the first leg of his Heart East shuttle, as Israel’s Overseas Minister Gideon Sa’ar waits to welcome him, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Picture by means of AP)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Israel at the first leg of his Heart East shuttle, as Israel’s Overseas Minister Gideon Sa’ar waits to welcome him, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Picture by means of AP)Learn Extra
‘If any person has a greater plan … that’s nice’
In a radio interview closing week, Rubio indicated that Trump’s proposal used to be partially aimed toward pressuring Arab states to get a hold of their very own postwar plan that will be appropriate to Israel, which says Hamas can haven’t any position in Gaza.He additionally perceived to counsel that Arab nations ship in troops to battle Hamas.“If any person has a greater plan, and we are hoping they do, if the Arab nations have a greater plan, then that’s nice,” Rubio mentioned Thursday at the “Clay and Greenback Display.” However “Hamas has weapons,” he added. “Any individual has to confront the ones guys. It’s no longer going to be American squaddies. And if the nations within the area can’t determine that piece out, then Israel goes to must do it after which we’re again to the place we’ve been.”Rubio used to be no longer scheduled to fulfill with any Palestinians on his shuttle.
Arabs have restricted choices as Israel has rejected previous plansFor Arab leaders, facilitating the mass expulsion of Palestinians or combating Palestinian militants on behalf of Israel are each nightmare situations. Both would open them as much as fierce home complaint and probably destabilize an already risky area.Egypt says it is going to host an Arab summit on Feb. 27 and is operating with different nations on a counterproposal that will permit for Gaza to be rebuilt with out getting rid of its inhabitants. Human rights teams say the expulsion of Palestinians would most probably violate world legislation.Egypt has warned that any mass inflow of Palestinians from Gaza would undermine its just about half-century-old peace treaty with Israel, a cornerstone of American affect within the area.Arab and Muslim nations have till now conditioned any strengthen for postwar Gaza on a go back to Palestinian governance with a pathway to statehood in Gaza, the West Financial institution and east Jerusalem, territories Israel seized within the 1967 Mideast battle.
The Biden management spent months rallying regional powers at the back of such plans, however they fizzled as Israel dominated out no longer just a Palestinian state but in addition any position in Gaza for the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, whose forces have been pushed out when Hamas seized energy there in 2007.Hamas has mentioned it’s keen to relinquish energy in Gaza however insists on Palestinian rule.Rubio to seek advice from regional heavyweightsRubio could also be set to seek advice from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, regional heavyweights that experience rejected any mass displacement of Palestinians and could be key to any regional reaction.The United Arab Emirates used to be the motive force at the back of the 2020 Abraham Accords wherein 4 Arab states normalized members of the family with Israel right through Trump’s earlier time period. Trump hopes to extend the accords to incorporate Saudi Arabia, probably providing nearer U.S. protection ties, however the kingdom has mentioned it is going to no longer normalize members of the family with Israel and not using a pathway to a Palestinian state.Rubio may not be visiting Egypt or Jordan, shut U.S. allies at peace with Israel that experience refused to simply accept any inflow of Palestinian refugees. Trump has every now and then prompt he may slash U.S. support to the 2 nations, which may well be devastating for his or her economies, in the event that they don’t comply.He’s additionally skipping Qatar, which along side Egypt had served as a key mediator with Hamas in brokering the ceasefire. Trump took credit score for the ceasefire, which used to be reached within the last days of the Biden management after his Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, joined the talks. However extra just lately, Trump has prompt that Israel resume the battle if the rest dozens of hostages aren’t launched faster than deliberate.___Melzer reported from Nahariya, Israel. Related Press author Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this document.___Follow AP’s battle protection at
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