Abdelrahman
Israeli PM Netanyahu Collaborates with US on Gaza Strategy
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he is engaging in "full cooperation" with the United States to develop a "shared strategy" regarding Gaza, following discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Netanyahu lauded US President Donald Trump’s "courageous vision" for the future of Gaza, emphasizing that he and Rubio explored approaches to "turn that vision into a reality."
However, Trump’s widely criticized proposal for the US to assume control over Gaza and facilitate the resettlement of its population has faced rejection from both Palestinians and several Arab nations.
Rubio acknowledged that the proposal may have "shocked and surprised" some, but noted it takes "guts" to introduce alternatives to the "stale concepts" of the past.
On his inaugural Middle East visit as the US’s leading diplomat, Rubio also intends to meet with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia shortly to discuss strategies for concluding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
During a press conference in Jerusalem, Rubio and Netanyahu highlighted their mutual interests, which include dismantling Hamas’s governance capabilities, preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and monitoring the situation in a post-Assad Syria.
Netanyahu condemned what he referred to as "lawfare" initiated by the International Criminal Court (ICC), claiming it has "outrageously libeled" Israel.
He expressed gratitude toward the US government for imposing sanctions against the ICC, which issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu last year over alleged war crimes in Gaza—a claim Israel contests—as well as for a senior Hamas commander.
According to Netanyahu, both the US and Israel share a unified stance on Gaza, and he cautioned that the "gates of hell" would open if all Israeli hostages were not released.
Rubio emphasized, "Hamas must not persist as a military or governing body. As long as it operates as a governing force that threatens through violence, peace remains unattainable."
Rubio’s visit comes in the wake of the arrival of American-made MK-84 bombs in Israel. Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the country received these heavy munitions from the US after Trump lifted a ban on their export that had been placed by former President Joe Biden.
Initially, Biden had sent thousands of MK-84s to Israel following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, but he later hesitated to clear their export due to potential impacts on Gaza. The MK-84 is a powerful 2,000-pound bomb known for its extensive blast radius, capable of devastating structures.
Katz noted that the shipment represents a "significant asset" for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and underscores the "strong alliance between Israel and the United States."
Concerns about the fragile ceasefire in Gaza heightened after a dispute regarding a planned hostage release nearly caused it to collapse, but the release was ultimately executed as scheduled on Saturday.
