U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Sunday (September 14), stepping into a region already fraught with tension following Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and its plans to expand settlements in the West Bank.
Rubio and his wife, Jeanette Dousdebes, were greeted by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee upon landing at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.
Speaking to reporters before departure from Washington, Rubio acknowledged President Donald Trump’s displeasure over the Doha strike but stressed that it would not shake the U.S.-Israel alliance. “Obviously, we were not happy about it. The president was not happy with it. Now we need to move forward and figure out what comes next,” he said. “At the end of the day, when all is said and done, there is still a group called Hamas, which is an evil group that still has weapons and is terrorizing.”
Rubio said he would raise with Israeli officials how the strike might affect Trump’s goals of securing the release of all hostages, dismantling Hamas, and ending the war in Gaza. “It’s not going to change the nature of our relationship with the Israelis. But we are going to have to talk about it,” he noted.
The secretary of state also addressed Qatar’s role, after its capital was struck in last week’s air raid. Asked if Doha would still cooperate with Washington, he replied: “We have a relationship with them as well. They’ve been good partners on a number of fronts.”
Rubio also plans to visit Jerusalem’s City of David archaeological site, describing it as an extraordinary place of global significance and rejecting suggestions that the stop was politically motivated.
Israel insists its actions are in self-defence following Hamas’s October 2023 attack, which killed 1,200 people and saw more than 250 hostages taken.
After his stop in Israel, Rubio is expected to join President Trump during his planned visit to Britain next week.
U.S. President Donald Trump said there was an "all-day negotiation" on Tuesday with Iran, characterising the talks positively while also threatening t...
Iran says it is holding “positive” talks with Oman on reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic, while an official source familiar with t...
Top Arab and Muslim foreign ministers agreed at a meeting in Amman on Wednesday to establish a mechanism to document alleged Israeli violations in Jer...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 5th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. President Donald Trump said there was an "all-day negotiation" on Tuesday with Iran, characterising the talks positively while also threatening to hit Iran "really hard" if a deal was not reached.
Tehran had made plans to strike sites in Ukraine after Kyiv attacked an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, a senior Iranian military adviser has said. Iran refrained from taking action after Kyiv said the strike was a mistake, Mohsen Rezaei told the state IRIB TV channel.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 4th of August, covering the latest developments.
U.S. data analytics firm Palantir Technologies has reported a 93 per cent year-on-year jump in second-quarter revenue, even as the company faces continued criticism over its work with Israel's military and allegations linking its technology to the war in Gaza.a.
Türkiye's ruling alliance has submitted draft legislation to parliament aimed at advancing the peace process with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The proposed law includes legal protections for many former militants and suspended prison sentences for some convicted members.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed the country's ambassadors to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and several other countries. The removals came after a speech on Monday in which he said embassies would be judged on their effectiveness in securing weapons for Ukraine.
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have begun implementing a landmark 2022 border agreement, launching a land exchange to complete the demarcation of their shared frontier and pave the way for new infrastructure projects.
A new Ebola treatment centre is due to open this week in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as authorities battle the country's largest and fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record. Officials hope the new facility will ease pressure on an overstretched healthcare system.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israeli forces will not withdraw from their current positions in Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed, casting further doubt on a U.S.-backed proposal aimed at ending the war.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment