Tel Aviv is set to discuss the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire after a top US diplomat and an Israeli leader spoke with one voice against Hamas and Iran.
Hamas must be eradicated, Rubio says
Israel’s security cabinet was set to discuss the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire on Monday after top US diplomat Marco Rubio and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with one voice against Hamas and Iran.
Rubio was in Israel on his first trip to the Middle East as secretary of state under President Donald Trump and was due to travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday.
“Hamas cannot continue to exist as a military or governmental force … they must be eradicated,” Rubio said.
Standing beside him, Netanyahu said the two allies have a “common strategy” and that “the gates of hell will open” if all hostages are not released.
The comments came a day after Hamas released three Israeli hostages in exchange for 369 Palestinian prisoners – the sixth such exchange under the ceasefire agreement, which the United States brokered along with Qatar and Egypt.
Gaza resettlement plans
Rubio also discussed Gaza resettlement plans with Netanyahu. Shortly before flying to Israel, the secretary of state criticised Middle Eastern states for not being willing to support the Palestinians in practice. “They say they care about the Palestinians, but none of them are willing to accommodate the Palestinians,” Rubio said. “Any plan that Hamas stays would be a problem because Israel is not going to stand for it.”
On the day of Rubio’s visit, a shipment of American MK-84 aerial bombs weighing 907kg arrived at the port of Ashdod. The ban on their shipment was lifted by US President Donald Trump after his inauguration. The munitions were loaded onto dozens of trucks and transported to Israeli Air Force bases.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that “the shipment of ammunition that arrived in Israel overnight by decision of the Trump administration represents a significant asset for the IAF and the IDF and serves as further proof of the strong alliance between Israel and the United States.”
Netanyahu said in a statement that he “appreciates President Trump’s leadership and continued coordination with the United States,” as well as “the US president’s full support for Israel’s decisions regarding the Gaza Strip going forward.”
Hamas ready to give up?
The Hamas group is now signalling that it is ready to give up its sovereign status in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian militant organisation has informed Arab mediators that it “intends to abide by the ceasefire agreement in all three phases and will not participate in the governance of the Gaza Strip in the future,” according to the Al-Qahira Al-Ikhbariya TV channel.
Egypt, according to Al-Qahira Al-Ikhbariya’s interlocutors, is now “in intensive negotiations to establish an interim committee that would be responsible for assisting the enclave’s residents and rebuilding it.” According to Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed, the structure is to include the Palestinian Authority (PA) without Hamas involvement.
Cairo intends to present a counterplan to Trump’s Gaza settlement proposal. It would allow the enclave to be reconstructed without having to deport the Palestinian population to other Arab countries. According to the initiative, Egyptian and other companies should be brought in to implement reconstruction projects, and Arab or international forces could be used to secure the work of these firms.
So far, however, sending foreign troops to Gaza remains a matter of debate, as some countries reject direct military intervention in the enclave and say they are not prepared to risk their regular contingents.
