U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio begins a visit to Israel on Sunday, during which he will reaffirm his country's support for Tel Aviv, despite the strikes it has launched on Qatar targeting leaders of Hamas, which were criticized by U.S. President Donald Trump.
AP reported Rubio is set to hold high-level meetings in Jerusalem seeking clarity from Israeli officials following a controversial strike on Hamas operatives in Qatar that has derailed efforts to broker a ceasefire in the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday ahead of his departure, Rubio confirmed that President Donald Trump remained dissatisfied with the Israeli operation, which targeted Hamas leaders gathered in Doha to consider a US-mediated proposal for a truce.
“We’re going to talk about what the future holds, and I’m going to get a much better understanding of what their plans are moving forward,” Rubio said. “Obviously we’re not happy about it. The president was not happy about it. Now we need to move forward and figure out what comes next.”
The Israeli airstrike, carried out in Qatar's capital earlier this week, has drawn widespread international condemnation and dealt a severe blow to diplomatic efforts ahead of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session, where the Gaza war and Palestinian statehood are expected to dominate discussions.
Rubio and President Trump had met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Friday to address the fallout. Trump later hosted the sheikh for dinner in New York, signalling Washington’s ongoing efforts to balance its relationships with key Middle East allies amid mounting tensions.
Despite Trump’s rebuke of the Israeli action — calling it a move that “does not advance Israel or America’s goals” — Rubio’s two-day visit to Israel is seen as a show of continued American support for the country, which is increasingly isolated on the global stage.
“Trump wants Hamas defeated, he wants the war to end, he wants all 48 hostages home — including those who are deceased — and he wants it all at once,” Rubio said. “And we’ll have to discuss how the events last week impacted the ability to achieve that in short order.”
While in Jerusalem, Rubio is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials. His itinerary also includes a visit to the City of David archaeological site in the Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan, located in contested east Jerusalem — an area Israel captured in the 1967 war and later annexed, a move not recognised internationally.
The City of David is hailed by Israeli authorities as a testament to the ancient roots of the Jewish state, though critics accuse its operators of promoting a nationalist narrative while marginalising the local Palestinian community.
The fallout from the Israeli strike has also jeopardised Trump’s broader ambitions for a regional peace agreement. Qatar, a key intermediary in the Gaza conflict, has expressed outrage over the operation, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also condemning the move. In a rare diplomatic balancing act, the US joined a UN Security Council statement denouncing the strike, though it stopped short of naming Israel.
Trump has since assured Qatari leaders that such an incident would not be repeated, underscoring Washington’s desire to preserve Qatari cooperation in ongoing negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
As regional diplomacy faces fresh uncertainty, Rubio’s visit marks a pivotal moment for the Biden administration’s efforts to salvage a path toward peace in Gaza — one that now faces an increasingly complex political landscape shaped by competing national interests, public outrage, and the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian divide. - September 14, 2025
