Rubio promises ‘unwavering’ US support for Israel after meeting with Netanyahu in wake of Qatar attack
Marco Rubio promised that the US would offer its “unwavering support” to Israel in its war in Gaza as he met with Benjamin Netanyahu following an Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar.
The US secretary of state said that Hamas “must cease to exist”, as Washington attempted to contain the fallout from the strike on Doha, which sparked international outrage.
His statement of support follows Mr Rubio’s arrival in Jerusalem on Sunday, with the politicians expected to address international outrage following Israeli airstrikes on Qatar, the state’s planned ground invasion of Gaza City and the rapid expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.
“Hamas needs to cease to exist as an armed element that can threaten the peace and security of the region,” Mr Rubio said at the press conference. He added that moves to recognise Palestine have “no impact in bringing us closer to a Palestinian state”.
The UN Human Rights Council is set to hold an urgent debate following Israel’s strikes on Qatar, which Israel said were aimed at Hamas leadership in Doha.
The prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, said on Sunday: “The time has come for the international community to stop using double standards and to punish Israel for all the crimes it has committed.”
Qatar boasts the largest US military base in the Middle East and has played a vital diplomatic role during the conflict, brokering hostage release and ceasefire deals for nearly two years.
Mr Rubio’s visit comes ahead of the UN General Assembly summit, which will take place next week. America’s allies, including the UK, France, Canada, Australia and Belgium, are expected to recognise Palestine as a state at the meeting.
Mr Netanyahu accompanied Mr Rubio and the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, on a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem over the weekend, saying the US-Israel alliance “has never been stronger”.
“It’s as strong, as durable as the stones in the Western Wall that we just touched,” he continued, as the pair wrote prayers on pieces of paper and placed them between the bricks.
Mr Rubio remained silent in response to Mr Netanyahu’s comments on Sunday but relayed US president Donald Trump’s disquiet with the attacks on Qatar.
“Obviously we’re not happy about it,” he said ahead of the visit. “The president was not happy about it. Now we need to move forward and figure out what comes next.”
He emphasised that the action was “not going to change the nature of our relationship with the Israelis”.
President Trump warned Israel to act with caution on Sunday, saying: “My message is that they have to be very, very careful. They have to do something about Hamas, but Qatar has been a great ally to the United States.”
