WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will fly to Israel this weekend, seeking to reassure Israeli leaders following a controversial Israeli strike on Hamas personnel in Qatar and renewed settlement expansion in the West Bank. Rubio’s high-stakes trip comes amid mounting diplomatic friction among the United States and its regional allies, several of whom have denounced Israel’s actions in Doha.
Deputy State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said that Rubio’s priority during his visit would be to reaffirm that Washington and Jerusalem share the imperative of preventing Hamas from ruling Gaza and ensuring the release of Israeli hostages taken in the October 2023 attacks. Rubio is also expected to discuss the US stance against unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, which Washington argues would reward Hamas, and to address growing international legal action, including cases at the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice, targeting Israel.
Rubio’s visit, which precedes President Trump’s scheduled trip to Britain, will see meetings with Israeli officials on Jerusalem’s operational objectives in Gaza as well as a possible tour of sites in contested East Jerusalem. The trip underlines both Washington’s continued support for Israel and the complex, shifting alignments in the region as US allies weigh their responses to Israel’s strategies against Hamas and settlement expansion.