U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the conflict with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Sunday.
Rubio's visit coincided with an emergency summit in Qatar of Arab and Islamic states, some of them close U.S. allies, convened in response to Israel's attack last week on leaders of Hamas who reside in the Gulf state.
While diplomacy unfolded in Jerusalem and Doha, the Palestinian death toll kept mounting with two air strikes on sites in Gaza City, one on two family homes and another on a tent housing a displaced family.
Witnesses said strikes from the air and the ground hit several areas, spreading panic and prompting thousands to flee encampments established in streets and open areas. Local health authorities said on Monday that at least 16 Palestinians were killed.
Israel says the offensive to take control of Gaza is part of a plan to defeat Hamas for good, and that it has warned civilians to head south to a designated humanitarian zone.
However, the United Nations (U.N.) and numerous countries say its tactics amount to forced mass displacement and that conditions in the humanitarian zone are dire, with food in short supply.
Rubio said before leaving Washington that he wanted to discuss how Israel would finish its war to defeat Hamas so that remaining hostages could be released, in line with President Donald Trump's wishes.
He was also set to discuss how Israel's strike in Qatar, which U.S. officials said did not advance Israeli or U.S. interests, would affect those goals.
After Rubio arrived on Sunday, Netanyahu and his wife Sara led him and U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, and their wives, on a tour of the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site.
They also visited a nearby archeological site where Israel has excavated ruins, a controversial project adjacent to the Temple Mount, which is also a holy site for Muslims, who call it Haram al-Sharif or Noble Sanctuary.
Hamas said the visit to the Western Wall, which Muslims call the Al-Buraq Wall, was an assault on the sanctity of the Al-Aqsa mosque inside the compound.
The militant group said the visit reaffirmed "the bias and full partnership of the current U.S. administration in the occupation's crimes against our people, land, and holy sites".
A State Department spokesperson said late on Sunday that Rubio was proud to visit the site with Netanyahu and that this reaffirmed "America's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's eternal capital".
In Doha, leaders were set to warn that Israel's attack in Qatar threatened coexistence and efforts to normalise ties in the region, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters.
At least one ordinary Palestinian was dismissive.
"We have never placed much hope in Arab leaders and their summits," said Ahmed Nemer, 45, from Gaza, "The final statement is written by the Americans or is vetted by the Americans, so what can we expect?"
Rubio is scheduled to visit Qatar on Tuesday, the Washington Post reported, citing two government officials in the Middle East.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report, which was published on Monday.
Ukraine’s domestic security service, the SBU, says it struck a Russian Kilo‑class submarine in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, causing critica...
Washington’s seizure of a tanker carrying Venezuelan oil shows a shift from financial sanctions to direct maritime action, further straining relatio...
Anewz brings you the best videos of the day from around the world covering everything from uplifting events to updates in conflict zones....
At least 37 people have been killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rain in Morocco's Atlantic coastal province of Safi, Moroccan authorities ...
The European Union’s interest in investing in regional connectivity projects in the South Caucasus, such as the Trump Route for International Peace ...
Ukraine’s domestic security service, the SBU, says it struck a Russian Kilo‑class submarine in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, causing critical damage.
Anewz brings you the best videos of the day from around the world covering everything from uplifting events to updates in conflict zones.
The European Union’s interest in investing in regional connectivity projects in the South Caucasus, such as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is driven by a need for strategic credibility and a tangible foreign policy success, according to a regional expert.
French senators on Monday approved a revised 2026 budget bill that the government warned could worsen the country’s fiscal deficit, setting the stage for tense negotiations between parliament’s two chambers later this week.
Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, has said that Ukraine has not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of children it alleges were taken illegally to Russia, despite the issue being discussed during talks in Istanbul.
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman, detaining all 18 crew members on board.
An explosive device found in a vehicle linked to one of the alleged attackers in Bondi shooting has been secured and removed according to Police. The incident left 12 people dead.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has offered condolences to President Donald Trump following an ISIS attack near the ancient city of Palmyra that killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter, Syrian and U.S. officials said Sunday.
Ukraine’s domestic security service, the SBU, says it struck a Russian Kilo‑class submarine in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, causing critical damage.
Washington’s seizure of a tanker carrying Venezuelan oil shows a shift from financial sanctions to direct maritime action, further straining relations with Caracas and increasing risks for global shipping.
Anewz brings you the best videos of the day from around the world covering everything from uplifting events to updates in conflict zones.
French senators on Monday approved a revised 2026 budget bill that the government warned could worsen the country’s fiscal deficit, setting the stage for tense negotiations between parliament’s two chambers later this week.
Flooding in Bolivia’s eastern Santa Cruz region has killed at least 20 people after an overflowing river swept through multiple communities, authorities said on Monday, with the toll expected to increase as rescue teams reach areas that were previously inaccessible.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment