Daijiworld Media Network – Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Sep 16: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday strongly endorsed Israel’s renewed offensive in Gaza City and its aim of dismantling Hamas, voicing skepticism that negotiations alone can end the nearly two-year-long conflict.
Standing beside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Rubio said, “The people of Gaza deserve a better future, but that better future cannot begin until Hamas is eliminated… You can count on our unwavering support.”
Rubio dismissed hopes for a quick ceasefire through Qatari mediation, even as former US president Donald Trump recently predicted the war could end within weeks. He called Hamas “barbaric animals,” stressing that while Washington remains open to diplomacy, “we also have to be prepared for the possibility that that’s not going to happen.”
The visit follows Trump’s rebuke of Israel for striking Hamas leaders in Qatar, a key US partner hosting Washington’s largest regional air base. Rubio will travel to Doha on Tuesday to reaffirm US support for Qatar’s sovereignty.
Israel has launched a major campaign to seize Gaza City, where the UN last month said a million people face famine—a claim Israel rejects. Palestinian officials reported 49 more deaths Monday, figures that AFP could not independently verify due to restricted access.
Netanyahu hailed Rubio’s trip as a “clear message” of US backing and praised Trump as “the greatest friend that Israel has ever had.” The visit comes ahead of a French-led UN summit where several US allies are expected to push for recognition of a Palestinian state—moves Rubio dismissed as “largely symbolic” and counterproductive.
Far-right Israeli ministers have meanwhile renewed calls to annex the West Bank, drawing protests from the UAE, which normalized ties with Israel five years ago. The Gaza war, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,219 people, has since claimed more than 64,900 Palestinian lives, mostly civilians, according to UN-cited health ministry data.
Rubio also met families of remaining hostages and attended the opening of a controversial tunnel under Jerusalem’s Silwan neighborhood, highlighting what he described as enduring US-Israel “Judeo-Christian values.”