US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Israel, has given a crucial endorsement to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline stance on Gaza’s future. Rubio stated the planned international force must be composed of “countries that Israel’s comfortable with,” effectively backing an Israeli veto.
Rubio also made the US position on Hamas clear, stating that Gaza’s future governance must be determined by “Israel and its partners, excluding Hamas.” This comes as the militant group refuses to disarm.
Netanyahu himself declared Sunday that “Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us.” He has already used this to signal a block on Turkish involvement, following a diplomatic fallout.
The US has ruled out sending its own soldiers but is exploring a UN resolution to authorize the multinational force, with talks scheduled in Qatar.
This all unfolds against the backdrop of a fragile truce. An Israeli strike on Nuseirat was called a “violation” by Hamas, and Donald Trump has warned Hamas to speed up the return of hostage remains.
