The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, on Sunday completely supported the conflict goals of Israel in the Gaza Strip, saying that Hamas “must be eradicated” and throwing the high the unstable fire to more doubts when conversations in His second phase have not yet begun.
Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the beginning of a regional tour, where he is likely to face the rejection of the Arab leaders for the proposal of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, to transfer to the Palestinian population of Gaza and rebuild it under the property of the United States.
Netanyahu has welcomed the plan and said that he and Trump have a “common strategy” for Gaza. Trump echoing, he said that “the doors of hell would be open” if Hamas does not release dozens of remaining hostages kidnapped in the attack of the militant group to the south of Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the conflict of 16 months.
The first phase of the high fire will end in two weeks and the second phase has not yet negotiated, although the conversations were destined to start two weeks ago. In the second phase, Hamas would free dozens of remaining hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces
Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, told Fox News that “phase two will start absolutely” and that he had “very productive” calls on Sunday with Netanyahu and officials from Egypt and Qatar, which serve as mediators , about continuous conversations this week. He also said that the hostages that will be released include 19 Israeli soldiers and “we believe everyone is alive.”
Netanyahu's office said that Israel's security cabinet would meet Monday to discuss the second phase. Netanyahu also ordered the negotiators to go to Cairo on Monday to discuss a greater implementation of the first phase.
Rubio said that Hamas cannot continue as a military or government force.
“As long as it remains as a force that can govern or as a force that can administer or as a force that can threaten the use of violence, peace becomes impossible,” he said. “It must be eradicated.”
Hamas reaffirmed the control over Gaza when the high fire strengthened last month despite suffering great losses.
Rubio is also ready to visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, heavy political weights in the region.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army said that he carried out an air attack on Sunday in people who approached their forces in southern Gaza. The Ministry of Interior led by Hamas said the strike killed three of its police while ensuring the entry of help trucks near Rafah on the Egyptian border.
Resuming conflict could condemn hostages
This week marks 500 days of the conflict. Netanyahu has pointed out the preparation to resume fighting after the current phase of Alto El Fuego, although it could be a death sentence for remaining hostages.
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Netanyahu has offered Hamas the opportunity to surrender and send his best leaders to exile. Hamas has rejected that scenario and insists on the Palestinian domain. Spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou told Associated Press that the group accepts a Palestinian unit government or a technocratic committee to lead Gaza.
Last week, Hamas threatened to delay the launch of hostages of this weekend because Netanyahu has not yet approved the entry of mobile houses and heavy machinery in Gaza as required by the Fire's high agreement. An Israeli official said in condition of anonymity in line with the regulations that the issue would be discussed in the next few days, and Israel was coordinating with the United States.
In another closing ranges, the Israel Ministry of Defense said it received a sending of MK-84 ammunition of 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) from the United States. The Biden administration had stopped a shipment of such bombs last year for concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza.
'If someone has a better plan … that's great'
In an interview last week, Rubio indicated that Trump's proposal was partly aimed at pressing the Arab states to make his own plan after conflict that would be acceptable to Israel.
Rubio also seemed to suggest that Arab countries send troops to fight Hamas.
“If someone has a better plan, and we hope you do it, if the Arab countries have a better plan, then that is great,” Rubio said Thursday in the “clay and buck show.”
But “Hamas has weapons,” he added. “Someone has to face those guys. They will not be American soldiers. And if the countries in the region cannot solve that piece, then Israel will have to do it. ”
Rubio was not scheduled to meet with the Palestinians on his trip to the Middle East.
The Arabs have limited options
For Arab leaders, facilitating the massive expulsion of the Palestinians of Gaza or fighting Palestinian militants in the name of Israel there are nightmare scenarios that would bring fierce domestic criticisms and potentially destabilize an already volatile region.
Egypt will organize an Arab Summit on February 27 and is working with other countries in a counterproposal that would allow Gaza to rebuild without eliminating its population. Human rights groups say that the expulsion of the Palestinians would probably violate international law.
Egypt warned that any massive influx of Palestinians from Gaza would undermine its peace treaty of almost half a century with Israel, a cornerstone of US influence in the region.
The Arab and Muslim countries have conditioned any support for the Gaza after conflict in a return to the Palestinian government with a path to state in Gaza, Bank and East Jerusalem, territories that Israel seized the conflict of the Middle East of 1967.
Israel has ruled out a Palestinian state and any role in Gaza for the Palestinian authority backed by the West, whose forces were expelled when Hamas took power there in 2007.
Rubio to visit regional heavyweights
The EAU and Saudi Arabia have rejected any massive displacement of Palestinians and would be key to any regional response.
The EAU were the driving force behind Abraham 2020 agreements in which four Arab states, Bahrain, the EAU, Morocco and Sudan, normalized relations with Israel during Trump's previous term. Trump hopes to expand the agreements to include Saudi Arabia, which potentially offers narrower American defense ties, but the kingdom has said that it will not normalize relations with Israel without a path to a Palestinian state.
Rubio will not visit Egypt or Jordan, closing American allies in peace with Israel who have refused to accept any influx of Palestinian refugees. Trump has suggested that he could reduce American help if they do not meet, what could be devastating for their economies.
Rubio is also jumping Qatar.
–Natalie Melzer reported from Nahariya, Israel. Associated Press's writer Samy Magdy contributed to this Cairo report.