US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, during a visit to Israel on Monday, September 15, that Washington would remain steadfast in its support for its ally in the Gaza war and called for the eradication of Hamas. "The people of Gaza deserve a better future, but that better future cannot begin until Hamas is eliminated," Rubio told reporters, speaking next to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "You can count on our unwavering support."
Netanyahu said Rubio's visit was a "clear message" that the United States stood with Israel and praised President Donald Trump for his backing, calling him the "greatest friend that Israel has ever had."
Rubio criticized plans by Western nations to recognise a Palestinian state, saying they "emboldened" Hamas. "They're largely symbolic (...) the only impact they actually have is it makes Hamas feel more emboldened," he said.
Rubio had said he would discuss with Netanyahu Israeli plans to seize Gaza City, the territory's largest urban center, as well as the government's talk of annexing parts of the occupied West Bank in hopes of precluding a Palestinian state.
The secretary of state had also said Trump wanted the Gaza war to be "finished with" – which would mean the release of hostages and ensuring Hamas is "no longer a threat."
Talks were, however, made more difficult last week when the Trump administration was caught off guard by an Israeli attack in Qatar against Hamas leaders who were meeting to discuss a new US ceasefire proposal for Gaza. Qatar has, along with Egypt and the United States, led mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas.
"We assume full responsibility for it because we believe that terrorists should not be given a haven and the people who planned the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust cannot have immunity," Netanyahu said. "We sent a message to terrorists: you can run but you cannot hide," Netanyahu said Monday. The "raid didn't fail. It had one central message."
Rubio said Washington would continue to tell Qatar to press on with its efforts as an intermediary in the Gaza war: "We are focused on what happens now, what happens next, what role can Qatar play possibly in reaching an outcome" to end the Gaza war. "We're going to continue to encourage Qatar to play a constructive role in that regard," Rubio said.
Trump, for years a fervent defender of Netanyahu, has voiced support for Qatar, which is home to the largest US air base in the region and has assiduously courted the US president, including by gifting a luxury jet. "Qatar has been a very great ally. Israel and everyone else, we have to be careful. When we attack people we have to be careful," he said on Sunday.
Despite the objections over the Qatar strike, Rubio opened the visit on Sunday with a highly symbolic show of support as he joined Netanyahu at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews are allowed to pray. With Rubio at his side, Netanyahu said the Israel-US alliance has "never been stronger."
Rubio, a devout Catholic, later posted that his visit showed his belief that Jerusalem is the "eternal capital" of Israel. Until Trump's first term, US leaders had shied away from such overt statements backing Israeli sovereignty over contested Jerusalem, which is also holy to Muslims and Christians. Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, in a sharp break with most of the world.
Later on Monday, Rubio is expected to attend the inauguration of a tunnel for religious tourists that goes underneath the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan to the holy sites. The project has stirred fears among Palestinians that it could further dilute their presence, allowing Israelis to bypass Palestinians and possibly putting at risk the physical foundations of their homes.
Rubio played down the political implications, calling it "one of the most important archaeological sites in the world."