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.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 29th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to end the Russia-Ukraine war were “getting a lot closer, maybe very close,” while acknowledging that the future of eastern Ukraine’s disputed Donbas region remains unresolved.
Iran successfully launched three satellites on Sunday using a Russian Soyuz rocket from Russia’s Far East, marking the latest stage in growing Iran-Russia space cooperation.
New York placed the state under emergency measures on Friday as a powerful winter storm brought the heaviest snowfall since 2022, disrupting travel across the north-east of the United States.
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck offshore near Taiwan’s north-eastern county of Yilan late on Saturday, shaking buildings across the island, including in the capital Taipei, authorities said.
Brigitte Bardot, the French actress whose barefoot mambo in And God Created Woman propelled her to international fame and reshaped female sexuality on screen, has died at the age of 91, her foundation said on Sunday.
Iran is engaged in a “comprehensive war” with the United States, Israel, and Europe, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Saturday.
Japan’s tourism sector has experienced a slowdown after China’s government advised its citizens to reconsider travel to Japan, following remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 29th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of long-range strategic cruise missiles on Sunday, in what state media described as a test confirming the country’s nuclear deterrent and readiness to respond to security threats.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Sunday praised the country’s armed forces as “invincible warriors” during a year-end ceremony honouring the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, held in the coastal city of La Guaira.
At least 13 people were killed when an Interoceanic Train carrying around 250 passengers derailed in southern Mexico, authorities said on Sunday.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn and Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow in Yunnan province on Sunday, following a ceasefire that ended nearly three weeks of clashes along the Cambodia-Thailand border.
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