Rubio to visit Israel amidst tensions among U.S. Middle East allies

U.S. President Donald Trump's top diplomat, Marco Rubio, is set to travel to Israel this weekend amid rising tensions with U.S. allies in the Middle East over Israel's airstrike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed on Friday that Rubio will depart on Saturday for Israel before joining Trump's planned visit to Britain next week.

While in Israel, Rubio will highlight the shared objectives of the U.S. and Israel, particularly the goal of preventing Hamas from ever ruling Gaza again and securing the return of hostages taken during the 7 October, 2023, attacks, which killed 1,200 Israelis and resulted in the abduction of 251 hostages, according to Israeli officials.

Israel's nearly two-year-long military campaign in Gaza has led to over 64,000 deaths in the Palestinian enclave, according to local authorities. The campaign has also drawn accusations of genocide, including from the world’s largest group of genocide scholars this month.

On Tuesday, Israel launched an airstrike on Hamas's political leaders in Doha, a move that U.S. officials described as a unilateral escalation that did not serve either American or Israeli interests. The attack on the territory of a close U.S. ally sparked widespread condemnation from other Arab nations and derailed ceasefire and hostage negotiations mediated by Qatar.

Rubio's visit comes ahead of high-level meetings at the United Nations in New York later this month, where countries like France and Britain are expected to recognise Palestinian statehood. Washington argues that such recognition would strengthen Hamas, and Rubio has warned that it could pave the way for the annexation of the West Bank, a goal pursued by hardline members of the Israeli government.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement on Thursday to advance a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land Palestinians view as crucial for a future state. The United Arab Emirates cautioned last week that such actions would cross a red line and jeopardise the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords, which normalised UAE-Israel relations in 2020.

Rubio and Israeli leaders are expected to discuss "our commitment to fight anti-Israel actions, including unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state that rewards Hamas terrorism, and legal actions at the ICC and ICJ," Pigott stated. He was referring to the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, and the International Court of Justice, which has called on Israel to take steps to prevent acts of genocide.

"The Secretary will also meet with the families of hostages and reiterate that the return of their loved ones remains a top priority," Pigott added.

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