U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Israel amid rising tensions with American allies in the Middle East following an Israeli airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar and the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Before his departure, Rubio reiterated to reporters that the United States and President Donald Trump were unhappy with the airstrike.
Rubio stated that the U.S.–Israel relationship would remain unaffected, but he would discuss with Israeli officials how the strike might impact Trump’s efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, eliminate militants, and end the war in Gaza.
“What’s happened has happened... We’ll meet with them, and we’ll talk about what the future holds,” he said.
He added, “There are still 48 hostages who deserve to be released immediately, all at once. And there’s still hard work ahead after this crisis ends to rebuild Gaza in a way that gives people the quality of life they all aspire to.”
Rubio said it's unclear who will fund, oversee, or do the mission.
Speaking before his trip to Israel, Rubio emphasized that the disagreement over the Israeli strike on Qatar “won’t change” American support for Israel. “It won’t change the nature of our relationship with the Israelis, but we do need to discuss it... especially the impact it will have” on efforts to reach a ceasefire.
After his visit to Israel, Rubio is scheduled to join President Trump on a planned trip to Britain in the coming days.
Israel launched an airstrike in Doha on Tuesday in an attempt to assassinate Hamas political leaders, which U.S. officials described as a unilateral escalation that does not serve American or Israeli interests.
The strike on the territory of a close U.S. ally drew widespread condemnation from other Arab nations and disrupted Qatar-mediated negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attacks, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages, according to Israeli statistics.
Palestinian authorities reported that the subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza has claimed over 64,000 lives, triggered a hunger crisis, and led to accusations of genocide against Israel.
Rubio met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the White House on Friday, in a meeting that reflects the complex web of interests in the region. Rubio aims to strike a balance between these interests during his visit. That evening, President Trump hosted a dinner for the Qatari prime minister in New York.