Rubio Confident in Gaza Truce as Trump Warns Israel against West Bank Annexation
"We feel confident and positive about the progress that's being made. We're clear-eyed about the challenges, too," Rubio said.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday expressed optimism about maintaining and expanding the Gaza truce deal during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
"We feel confident and positive about the progress that's being made. We're clear-eyed about the challenges, too," Rubio said, underscoring Washington’s continued commitment to the U.S.-brokered ceasefire. His visit followed a separate trip by U.S. Vice President JD Vance earlier this week.
The Gaza truce, brokered by the United States, went into effect on October 10 after indirect negotiations in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh. The agreement marked the first phase of a broader plan aimed at ending the two-year war between Israel and Hamas.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza aimed to dismantle Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a strong warning to Israel over its moves toward annexing the West Bank. In an interview with Time magazine published on Thursday, Trump said that such actions would jeopardize Israel’s crucial alliance with Washington.
"It won’t happen," Trump stated when asked about Israeli lawmakers’ push for annexation. "It won’t happen because I gave my word to the Arab countries. Israel would lose all of its support from the United States if that happened."
The comments came a day after the Israeli Knesset advanced two bills paving the way for the potential annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank. Vice President Vance, speaking from Israel, echoed Trump’s warning, calling for restraint and reaffirming Washington’s support for diplomatic progress.
