US, Israel present united front on Gaza, Iran
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have presented a united front against their common enemies, threatening to open "the gates of hell" to Hamas and "finish the job" against the Iranian threat.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that his country and the United States have a "common strategy" regarding the future of the Gaza Strip, following talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who began his first tour of the Middle East in Israel.
The Israeli leader praised the "bold vision" of President Donald Trump, who proposed taking control of the Palestinian territory and displacing its population to Egypt and Jordan, and assured that he will work "to ensure that this vision becomes a reality."
The Secretary of State's visit to Israel comes the day after the release of three Israeli hostages captured by Hamas on October 7, 2023 by 369 Palestinian prisoners held in the Hebrew State. This was the sixth exchange since the truce came into effect on January 19, after more than 15 months of war.
Marco Rubio insisted on Sunday that the Islamist movement Hamas must be "eliminated", while Netanyahu warned that Israel will open "the gates of hell" in Gaza unless all hostages return, echoing a statement by Donald Trump.
Netanyahu's office later announced that the leader would chair a security cabinet meeting on Monday to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. He also announced the dispatch of a negotiating team to Cairo on Monday "to discuss the continuation of the implementation of the first phase of the agreement."
Resumption of negotiations?
The first phase of the truce, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, has so far resulted in the release of 19 Israeli hostages and 1,134 Palestinians. The agreement provides for the release of 33 hostages in that phase in exchange for 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.
The second phase of the deal is expected to allow for the return of all hostages and a definitive end to the war, but its implementation is uncertain because negotiations have not yet begun.
The third and final phase will focus on rebuilding the Gaza Strip, for which the UN estimates more than $53 billion will be needed.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack in southern Israel that left 1,211 people dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP report based on official Israeli data.
Islamist commandos also captured 251 people that day, of whom 70 remain in Gaza, although 35 are dead, according to the Israeli army. In response, Israel launched a relentless offensive in Gaza that has already left at least 48,271 dead, according to data from the Hamas-ruled territory's Ministry of Health, which the UN considers reliable. In addition to referring to Hamas, Netanyahu said on Sunday that his country would "finish the job" against the "Iranian threat" with the support of the United States, after having dealt "a powerful blow to the terrorist axis" of the Islamic Republic since October 2023.
Iran is the biggest "source of instability" in the region, said Rubio, who also met with his counterpart Gideon Sa'ar, President Isaac Herzog and Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid.
The ceasefire also faltered this week amid accusations of violating the agreement. Shortly before the meeting between Netanyahu and Rubio, the Israeli military announced that it had bombed "several armed individuals" in the narrow coastal territory.
The Palestinian Islamist movement, classified as a "terrorist" organisation by the United States, Israel and the European Union, said three policemen were killed near the town of Rafah, in the south of the enclave, and accused the Hebrew state of committing a "serious violation" of the truce.
As for the future of the Palestinian territory, Saudi Arabia will host a summit of five Arab countries on February 20 to work out a response to Trump's proposal to displace its 2.4 million inhabitants and turn it into a luxury tourist destination like the French Riviera.
The US president believes that there is no room for reconsidering "the same old ideas," said Rubio, who will soon travel to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Trump's idea is welcomed in Israel but widely criticized by the international community, which largely favors a two-state solution.