Key points
- Trump not happy about strikes: Marco Rubio
- Top US diplomat to emphasise shared US-Israel goals
- Israel’s airstrike on Doha condemned
ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio, headed to Israel on Saturday, amid tensions with fellow US allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The trip is taking place after President Donald Trump rebuked Israel over the unprecedented attack against Hamas leaders meeting in an upscale neighbourhood of Doha on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters before departure, Rubio reiterated that the US and President Donald Trump were not happy about the strikes.
On my way to Jerusalem. My focus will be on securing the return of hostages, finding ways to make sure humanitarian aid reaches civilians, and addressing the threat posed by Hamas.
Hamas cannot continue to exist if peace in the region is the goal. pic.twitter.com/60DWTkLSfC
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) September 13, 2025
According to Reuters, Rubio said the US relationship with Israel would not be affected, but that he would discuss with the Israelis how the strike would affect Trump’s desire to secure the return of all the hostages held by Hamas and end the Gaza war.
Trump has chided Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the attack, which targeted Hamas leaders gathering to discuss a new ceasefire proposal put forward by the United States.
Ceasefire still out of reach
Netanyahu has defended the operation, saying on Saturday that killing senior Hamas officials would remove the “main obstacle” to ending the war.
The talk of a ceasefire, still out of reach after months of failed negotiations, came as Israel has been intensifying its war in the Gaza Strip, according to AFP.
In recent days, it has ramped up efforts to seize control of Gaza City, the territory’s largest urban area, telling residents to evacuate and blowing up numerous high-rise buildings it said were being used by Hamas.
While thousands of people have evacuated the city, according to the Israeli military and Hamas, many more remain.
Scores of world leaders have condemned Israel’s strikes on Qatar.
