U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Saudi Arabia on Monday to discuss the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the fate of the Gaza Strip if the war is ended.
The new top U.S. diplomat met with both Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan.
Their talks came after U.S. President Donald Trump’s call to move 2.3 million Palestinians out of Gaza into neighboring countries, with the United States then redeveloping the narrow territory along the Mediterranean Sea and taking ownership of it, a plan Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations oppose.
Rubio and the crown prince “underscored the importance of an arrangement for Gaza that contributes to regional security,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said after the two officials met. She did not mention any discussion of the Trump proposal.
Bruce said the two officials “reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring that Hamas releases all hostages, including American citizens.”
Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, oppose Trump’s plan and continue to support the creation of an independent Palestinian state, including Gaza, to exist alongside Israel. For years, that also has been the U.S. stance but now seemingly is at odds with any call for U.S. ownership of the territory and removal of the Palestinians with no right for them to return once it is redeveloped.
As such, Rubio has said Arab countries opposed to Trump’s Gaza proposal should offer their own alternative suggestions on how to rebuild the territory that has been decimated by 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants. The warring sides are now in a six-week truce that is tenuously holding but set to end in two weeks.
Terms for the second phase of the ceasefire have yet to be reached.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said Monday its forces will remain in five strategic locations in southern Lebanon near the border after Tuesday’s deadline for their withdrawal under a ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group. The move came as the region marked 500 days of unrest linked to the war in the Gaza Strip.
Lebanon’s government and Hezbollah are opposed to any further delay in the Israeli troop withdrawal, which had already been postponed for three weeks.
Earlier Monday, an Israeli drone attack struck a car in Lebanon’s southern port city of Sidon, the deepest attack inside Lebanese territory since the ceasefire took effect. Israel said it targeted Muhammad Shaheen, the head of Hamas’ operations in Lebanon. Footage circulating online showed a car engulfed in flames.
Trump’s Gaza takeover plan would seemingly eliminate his hopes of getting Saudi Arabia to normalize ties with Israel, which Saudi officials have said will not happen unless there is a pathway for a Palestinian state.
The United States fully endorsed Israel’s war aims in Gaza on Sunday, with Rubio saying that Hamas “must be eradicated” and "cannot continue as a military or government force."
Rubio told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a stop in Jerusalem that “as long as [Hamas] stands as a force that can govern or as a force that can administer or as a force that can threaten by use of violence, peace becomes impossible.”
Echoing Trump, the Israeli leader said "the gates of hell would be open" if Hamas does not release dozens of remaining hostages abducted in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war.
Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, freed three hostages on Saturday in exchange for nearly 400 Palestinians who had been jailed in Israel. But the militants continue to hold dozens of hostages they captured in the terror attack that killed 1,200 people.
Israel’s counteroffensive during the war with Hamas has killed more than 48,200 Palestinians, according to the territory's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Israel, without offering evidence, said it has killed over 17,000 militants.
The tentative second phase of the ceasefire plan calls for Hamas to release dozens of remaining hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, the drafting of a permanent truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. But the detailed terms of the deal have yet to be negotiated.
During his tour of the region, Rubio was not scheduled to meet with any Palestinian officials.
Egypt says it is hosting an Arab summit on Feb. 27 and is working with other countries on a counterproposal that would allow for Gaza to be rebuilt without removing its population. Human rights groups say the expulsion of Palestinians would likely violate international law.
Egypt has warned that any mass influx of Palestinians from Gaza would undermine its nearly half-century-old peace treaty with Israel, a cornerstone of American influence in the region.
Some material in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
