U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meeting in Israel declared the two nations' mutual interest in releasing remaining hostages in Gaza, eradicating militant Hamas and addressing Iran's dominance in the Middle East. Good for all.
Rubio, the new top American diplomat, arrived in Tel Aviv and met with Netanyahu in his office. "It's important to constantly point that whether we talk about Hamas or we talk about Hezbollah, we talk about violence in the West Bank, or we talk about destabilization in Syria, or we talk about any of these issues the militias in Iraq, they all have behind them one common theme - Iran," Rubio said during a joint appearance with Netanyahu. "That must be addressed." Netanyahu used stronger language about Iran.
"Over the last 16 months, Israel has dealt a mighty blow to Iran's terror axis. Under the strong leadership of President Trump and with your unflinching support, I have no doubt that we can and will finish the job." Rubio said there "could never be a nuclear Iran." In November 2024, Israel destroyed an active top secret facility for nuclear weapons research. U.S. intelligence has cautioned that major strikes on Iranian nuclear sites could increase the risk of a wider war breaking out in the Middle East. Rubio said Hamas "must be eradicated, it must be eliminated."
"The president has been very clear: Hamas cannot continue as a military or government force," Rubio said. "And frankly, as long as it 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. They must be eliminated. It must be eradicated."A cease-fire is set to expire March 1. There are two other stages that include a multi-phase agreement that still needs final approval.
The second phase would secure the release of around 60 male hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The final stage is the return of the remains of dead hostages and a major reconstruction plan for Gaza. Netanyahu he has instructed a negotiating team to head to Cairo, Egypt, for talks on the continuation of the first phase of the hostage deal with Hamas. The Prime Minister's Office said the decision was made "in coordination" with Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy who spoke with Netanyahu earlier today. Trump has proposed that the United States take over Gaza and move all Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan, which has been strongly opposed by those nations and residents on the Gaza Strip.