WASHINGTON, Sept 13 — In a high-stakes diplomatic mission, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Israel this weekend amid intensifying tensions among America’s Middle East allies, following Israel’s controversial airstrike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and its continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Deputy State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott announced Thursday that Rubio’s visit to Israel would precede his participation in President Donald Trump’s planned trip to the UK next week. During his stay, Rubio is expected to reinforce the US-Israel alliance and advocate for the shared objective of ensuring Hamas no longer governs Gaza. The visit also focuses on the urgent return of hostages taken during the deadly October 7, 2023 attacks, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.
However, Israel’s prolonged military response—now nearing two years—has drawn fierce global criticism. Over 64,000 people have reportedly been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities. The crisis has also triggered widespread hunger and accusations of genocide, with condemnation from respected institutions such as the world’s largest group of genocide scholars.
In a clear sign of regional complexity, Rubio met Thursday with Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, at the White House. Qatar, a key US ally and mediator in Middle East conflicts, has found itself at odds with Israel after an Israeli airstrike targeted Hamas leadership in Doha on Tuesday—an act US officials have called a “unilateral escalation.”
That strike drew sharp condemnation from several Arab states and led to the suspension of Qatar-mediated ceasefire and hostage negotiations—efforts the US had strongly supported.
The timing of Rubio’s visit is pivotal. Later this month, several nations—including France and the UK—are expected to formally recognize Palestinian statehood during meetings at the United Nations in New York. The US opposes such recognition, warning it could empower Hamas. Rubio has gone further, saying it could even hasten moves by Israeli hardliners to annex parts of the West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed off Thursday on a controversial settlement expansion plan that slices through key West Bank territories Palestinians envision for a future state. The United Arab Emirates has warned that such actions cross a “red line” and risk unraveling the Abraham Accords, which normalized UAE-Israel relations in 2020.
Pigott emphasized that Rubio’s meetings with Israeli officials will also address efforts to counter “anti-Israel actions” like unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood, and international legal cases at the ICC and ICJ. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, while the International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to take preventive steps against genocide.
Before departing, Rubio also met with families of the hostages still held by Hamas—a solemn reminder that amid the shifting political landscape, human lives remain at the heart of the conflict.
