US’ Rubio heads to Israel amid tensions with Middle East allies

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump's top diplomat, Mr Marco Rubio, headed to Israel on Sept 13, amid tensions with fellow US allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Speaking to reporters before departure, Mr Rubio reiterated that the US and President Donald Trump were

not happy about the strikes.

Mr Rubio said

the US relationship with Israel

would not be affected, but that he would discuss with the Israelis how the strike would affect Mr Trump’s desire to secure the return of all the hostages held by Hamas, get rid of the militants and end the Gaza war.

“What's happened, has happened,” he said.

“We’re going to meet with them. We’re going to talk about what the future holds.

“There are still 48 hostages that deserve to be released immediately, all at once. And there is still the hard work ahead once this ends, of rebuilding Gaza in a way that provides people the quality of life that they all want.”

Mr Rubio said it had yet to be determined who would do that, who would pay for it and who would be in charge of the process.

After Israel, Mr Rubio is due to join Mr Trump’s

planned visit to Britain

next week.

Israel’s nearly two-year-long campaign has

killed more than 64,000 people

in the Palestinian enclave, according to local authorities. It has sparked a hunger crisis and led to allegations that Israel is committing genocide, including this month by the world’s biggest group of genocide scholars.

Israel launched its campaign after

Hamas’ Oct 7, 2023, attacks on Israel

that killed 1,200 people and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

Hamas still holds 48 hostages, and Qatar has been one of the mediators, along with the US, trying to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the captives’ release.

On Sept 9,

Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas

with an airstrike on Doha. US officials described it as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests.

The strike on the territory of a close US ally sparked broad condemnation from other Arab states and derailed ceasefire and hostage talks brokered by Qatar.

On Sept 12, Mr Rubio met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House, underscoring competing interests in the region that Mr Rubio will seek to balance on his trip. Later that day, US President Donald Trump held dinner with the prime minister in New York.

Mr Rubio’s trip comes ahead of high-level meetings at the United Nations in New York later this month. Countries including France and Britain are expected to recognise Palestinian statehood, a move

opposed by Israel.

Washington says such recognition would bolster Hamas and Mr Rubio has suggested the move could spur the annexation of the West Bank sought by hardline members of the Israeli government.

On Sept 11, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

signed an agreement

to push ahead with a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land that the Palestinians seek for a state.

Last week, the United Arab Emirates warned that this would cross a red line and undermine the US-brokered Abraham Accords that normalised UAE-Israel relations in 2020. REUTERS