“We are confident and positive about the progress made, but we are also aware of the challenges,” Rubio stated, adding that the development of the agreement is a top priority for U.S. President Donald Trump.
In his brief remarks, the U.S. diplomat noted that the progress achieved over the past week is “incredible,” although “more work remains to be done and accomplishments to be achieved later.”
Rubio arrived in Israel on the same day that U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance concluded his visit to the country. Before leaving Tel Aviv, Vance criticized the preliminary approval of a bill in the Israeli parliament that proposes the annexation of the West Bank, warning that it contradicts U.S. policy and undermines peace efforts in Gaza.
Trump, who has been a major proponent of the Gaza truce, warned that Israel “will lose Washington’s support” if it proceeds with the West Bank annexation, indicating he had assured Arab nations that this would not happen.
After his meeting with Rubio, Netanyahu emphasized the “confidence and partnership” with Washington, as well as the visits from Vance, White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, a key architect of the ceasefire agreement.
We are facing fateful days. We want to move forward in peace. We continue to face security challenges, but I believe we can work together to confront them and seize opportunities,” the Israeli Prime Minister stated.
Previously, Netanyahu attributed the West Bank bill to a “deliberate provocation by the opposition” aimed at undermining the visits of U.S. leaders, who are assessing the progress of the ceasefire in Gaza, in effect since October 10.
The understanding in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas was facilitated by the U.S. with other mediators (Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey), with support from various Arab nations.
Under the agreement, Hamas returned the last 20 living hostages it held in the Palestinian enclave, but only 15 of the 28 deceased, citing difficulties in locating the bodies amid the rubble left by over two years of conflict. In exchange, Israel released nearly two thousand Palestinian prisoners and 195 bodies that it held.
The understanding in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas was facilitated by the U.S. with other mediators (Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey), with support from various Arab nations.
Besides the exchange of hostages and prisoners, the first phase of the agreement includes a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave and the provision of humanitarian aid to the territory.
The Hamas-controlled Gaza government has reported numerous violations of the agreement by Israel, which was jeopardized by incidents on Sunday, with both sides blaming each other, leading to Israeli bombings in the territory on the same day.
The next phase of the understanding, yet to be agreed upon, includes the continued withdrawal of Israeli forces, the disarmament of Hamas, as well as the reconstruction and future governance of the enclave, excluding any role for the Islamist group.
The war in Gaza was ignited by Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, in southern Israel, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages.
In retaliation, Israel launched a large-scale military operation in Gaza, resulting in over 68,000 casualties, as reported by local authorities controlled by Hamas, along with the destruction of nearly all infrastructure in the territory and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
Platform with Lusa
