US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Israel after expressing the Donald Trump administration’s firm support for its ally, despite recent Israeli attacks in Qatar. According to the US State Department, the purpose of Rubio’s trip is to assure Israel of US support ahead of the anticipated recognition of a Palestinian state by several countries at the UN General Assembly.
Prior to his departure for the region, Rubio told reporters that while Trump was “not happy” about the attack, it “would not change the nature of our relationship with the Israelis.” He added, however, that the US and Israel “will need to discuss” its impact on truce efforts. The Israeli strike on Doha had targeted Hamas leaders who were gathered to discuss a new US-backed ceasefire proposal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the operation yesterday, stating that killing senior Hamas officials would remove the “main obstacle” to ending the war.
Citing Israeli and US officials, Axios reports that Rubio is also expected to discuss the possibility of an Israeli annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank. This would be a response to the planned recognition of a State of Palestine by numerous Western countries at the UN General Assembly by the end of the month. An Israeli official stated that Netanyahu wants to understand from his meeting with Rubio whether Trump would support such an annexation, despite the risk of collapsing the already-threatened Abraham Accords, a concern raised by the United Arab Emirates.
The majority of the international community considers the West Bank occupied territory and would view any Israeli annexation as illegal and provocative. The UAE has warned the Trump administration and the Israeli government that annexation would significantly damage the peace treaty between Abu Dhabi and Israel and the broader Abraham Accords, jeopardizing the US President’s hopes of expanding them.
Two Israeli officials told Axios that Rubio, in private meetings, has hinted he is not opposed to West Bank annexations and that the Trump administration would not stand in the way. These claims have reportedly caused alarm within the Trump administration. A US official said the Israeli assertions were concerning because there was no clear US position on the issue, creating an impression that the Israeli government was attempting to corner Washington. In recent days, internal meetings have been held at the White House and State Department to define a public line that leaves no room for interpretation on the US stance. A primary concern expressed by officials in these meetings is that an Israeli annexation could lead to the collapse of the Abraham Accords and tarnish Trump’s political legacy, a US official said. An informed source stated that the UAE had clearly reiterated its position to the State Department before Rubio’s trip to Israel.
In a separate incident, Al Jazeera reports that at least one person was killed and several others wounded in an Israeli strike on a car near the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City this morning. The Qatari broadcaster also reported artillery fire in eastern Gaza City and naval bombardments in the western part of the city. In southern Gaza, building demolitions were reported east and northeast of Khan Younis. The noise of explosions interrupted the live broadcast of an Al Jazeera colleague, who explained that Israeli fighter jets “are hitting Gaza City buildings every 10-15 minutes.” Al Jazeera notes that at least 62 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza yesterday, 49 of them in Gaza City. According to the local Civil Defense agency, over 6,000 Palestinians in Gaza were made homeless yesterday due to intense Israeli bombardment.