Secretary of State Marco Rubio is headed to Israel on Saturday for discussions on the Gaza Strip in the wake of an Israeli strike on Qatar.
Rubio, who is also the acting national security adviser, will reaffirm U.S. commitment to Israel’s security, the State Department said in a statement, while also conveying “America’s priorities in the Israel-Hamas conflict and broader issues concerning Middle Eastern security.”
“He will also emphasize our shared goals: ensuring Hamas never rules over Gaza again and bringing all the hostages home,” the department added.
Rubio will huddle with Israeli leaders to discuss Israel’s plans to take over Gaza City, dubbed Operation Gideon’s Chariots II. They will also discuss coordination on pushing back against international efforts, including by leading European countries, to recognize a Palestinian state and lawfare targeting Israeli leaders in international courts.
Additionally, Rubio will meet with families of hostages “and underscore that their relatives’ return remains a top priority.”
Rubio met with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the White House on Friday.
His trip comes as President Trump has said he is “very unhappy” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for launching without consideration for the U.S. a strike at a major ally, Qatar, to target Hamas officials engaged in ceasefire and hostage release talks.
Qatar has said it wants to deepen its security relationship with the U.S. to deter any future Israeli attack. The U.S. signed on to a statement at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that condemned the strike against Qatar but that withheld naming Israel as the militant party.
The U.S. had sought to put off Israel’s takeover of Gaza City with a renewed ceasefire deal delivered to Hamas earlier this week to their offices in Doha. Hamas was expected to issue a response by Friday but the Israeli attacks on Tuesday took out at least five members of the U.S.-designated terrorist group. Qatar said it has not closed the door on mediating between the parties but blamed Netanyahu as trying to kill pathways to peace.
