Rubio Heads to Israel Amid Middle East Tensions Over Gaza War and Settlements

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Israel on Saturday, following heightened tensions over Israel’s recent strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and its settlement expansion in the West Bank. Speaking before his departure, Rubio stressed that while President Donald Trump’s administration opposed the Qatar strike, U.S.-Israel relations remain strong.

Rubio said his discussions in Israel will focus on securing the release of the 48 hostages still held by Hamas, ending the Gaza war, and addressing post-war reconstruction. “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,” he stated, adding that decisions over funding and leadership for the rebuilding process remain unresolved.

The war, now approaching its second year, has killed more than 64,000 people in Gaza, according to local authorities. Israel launched the campaign after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and saw 251 hostages taken. While the U.S. and Qatar have worked to mediate a ceasefire, Israel’s airstrike in Doha last week—intended to target Hamas’s political leaders—was condemned by Washington as a unilateral escalation that undermined talks.

Rubio’s visit follows his White House meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and comes before Trump’s planned trip to Britain. The move also coincides with growing international momentum for Palestinian statehood recognition, expected from France and Britain, a step Israel strongly opposes.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement advancing settlement expansion in the West Bank, alarming Arab states and prompting the UAE to warn it could jeopardize the Abraham Accords. Rubio suggested such recognition efforts and settlement moves could further destabilize the region.