Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Premier, said that Israel and the United States share a similar approach to Gaza. He praised President Donald Trump for his “bold vision” of the territory, following talks with U.S. Sec. of State Marco Rubio on Sunday.
Rubio, on Sunday, fully endorsed Israel’s war goals in the Gaza Strip. He said Hamas “must be eliminated” and thrown the future of a shaky truce into further question.
Rubio met Netanyahu in Jerusalem as part of his regional tour. He is likely to be pushed back by Arab leaders about President Donald Trump’s plan to move the Palestinians out of Gaza and redevelop the Strip under U.S. ownership.
Netanyahu welcomed the plan and said that he and Trump share a “common strategic vision” for Gaza. He said, echoing Trump, that “the gates to hell would be opened” if Hamas did not release the remaining dozens of hostages taken in its Oct. 7, 20,23 attack, which triggered the war.
They made their remarks just two weeks before the first phase of the ceasefire was set to end. Negotiations are still ongoing for the second phase of the ceasefire, which will see Hamas release dozens of hostages remaining in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners and a lasting truce, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
Rubio stated that Hamas could not continue to be a government or military force.
Rubio stated, “As long as there is a threat of violence or a force which can threaten or administer, or a force who can govern, the peace will be impossible.” “It has to be eradicated.”
This language could make it difficult to continue negotiations with Hamas. Despite suffering heavy losses during the war, Hamas remains intact and controls Gaza.
Israeli forces said they had carried out an early morning airstrike on Sunday against people who were approaching their forces in southern Gaza. Hamas’ Interior Ministry reported that three policemen were killed in the attack while securing aid trucks near Rafah on the Egyptian border.
Hamas called the attack a “serious breach” of the ceasefire, and Netanyahu was accused of sabotaging the agreement.
The return of war may be fatal for the remaining hostages, and it is unlikely to succeed in eliminating Hamas. Hamas survived the 15-month Israeli assault and reclaimed control of Gaza as soon as the ceasefire was implemented last month.
Netanyahu has indicated his willingness to continue the war once the current phase is over. He has also offered Hamas the chance to surrender and to send its leaders into exile. Hamas rejected this scenario.
Netanyahu has also yet to approve the entry of heavy machinery and mobile homes into the Gaza Strip as required by the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas threatened to delay the release last week, raising concerns that the ceasefire might unravel. However, it released three hostages based on assurances received from Arab mediators.
According to regulations, an Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that the matter would be discussed within the next few days and that Israel is coordinating with the United States.
Israel’s Defense Ministry announced that it had received from the United States a shipment weighing 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) of MK-84 munition. Last year, the Biden administration halted a shipment due to concerns over civilian casualties.
In an interview with Rubio on the radio last week, Rubio said that Trump’s plan was partly intended to pressure Arab states into coming up with a postwar plan acceptable to Israel. Israel says Hamas cannot have a role in Gaza.
He also seemed to suggest that Arab nations send troops to fight Hamas.
On Thursday, Rubio told the Clay and Buck Show that “if someone has a more effective plan, and we do hope they have one if Arab countries can come up with a better strategy, then it’s a great thing.”
He added that “Hamas is armed.” Someone has to face those guys. It won’t be American soldiers. Israel will have to take over if other countries in the area can’t. Then we’re right back where we started.
Rubio’s trip was not planned to include any meetings with Palestinians.
Both scenarios are nightmares for Arab leaders. Either they would have to facilitate the expulsion of Palestinians in mass or fight Palestinian militants at Israel’s side. Both scenarios would expose them to intense domestic criticism and could destabilize a region already in turmoil.
Egypt has announced that it will host a summit of Arab leaders on February 27. It is also working with other nations on a counterproposal that would allow Gaza to be rebuilt, without its population being removed. Human rights groups claim that the expulsions of Palestinians will likely violate international law.
Egypt warned that a mass influx from Gaza of Palestinians would undermine the nearly 50-year-old peace agreement with Israel. This treaty is a cornerstone for American influence in this region.
Arab and Muslim nations have, up to now, conditionally supported post-war Gaza with the return of Palestinian governance and a path to statehood for Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast War.
The Biden administration spent many months rallying regional power behind such plans. But they failed when Israel rejected not only the creation of a Palestinian State but also any involvement in Gaza by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority whose forces had been driven out in 2007 after Hamas took control.
Hamas says it’s willing to give up power in Gaza, but insists that Palestinian rule be established.
Rubio will also visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia – regional heavyweights who have rejected mass Palestinian displacement and are key players in any regional response.
The United Arab Emirates was the driving force behind the 2020 Abraham Accords, where four Arab states normalized their relations with Israel under Trump’s former term. Trump wants to extend the Abraham Accords to Saudi Arabia and potentially offer closer U.S. Defense ties. However, the kingdom has stated that it will not normalize its relations with Israel until there is a path to a Palestinian State.
Rubio won’t be visiting Egypt or Jordan. Both countries are close U.S. allies at peace with Israel but have refused to take in any Palestinian refugees. Trump has suggested that he may cut U.S. assistance to Egypt and Jordan if the countries do not comply.
He also skips Qatar, which, along with Egypt, served as an important mediator in brokering a ceasefire with Hamas.
Steve Witkoff joined the talks in the final days of Biden’s administration, and Trump claimed credit for it. Trump, however, has recently suggested that Israel would resume the war in the event the remaining hostages were not released earlier than originally planned.