US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has embarked on his first Middle East tour, preceding a contentious proposal by US President Donald Trump to take control of the Gaza Strip. Rubio is scheduled to hold talks in Israel, followed by visits to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with the tour set to conclude on Tuesday.
Trump had announced his plan to take control of the Gaza Strip and relocate the Palestinian population to Egypt and Jordan during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Netanyahu welcomed the idea, while the plan was met with rejection elsewhere.
Rubio’s visit coincides with a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which was temporarily on the brink of collapse. The US Secretary of State arrived in Israel just hours after the release of three Israeli hostages by the Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in exchange for the release of 369 Palestinian prisoners by Israel. This was the sixth prisoner exchange since the start of the fragile truce.
Negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire, aimed at ending the conflict, are expected to begin in Doha next week.
The United States, Israel’s key ally and arms supplier, has stated that it remains open to alternative proposals from Arab governments, but emphasizes that Trump’s plan is the current solution.
Meanwhile, a shipment of heavy bombs approved by Trump has arrived in Israel. “A recently released shipment of heavy bombs from the US government was received and offloaded in Israel last night” the Israeli Defense Ministry announced on Sunday. The shipment of MK84 bombs was previously held back by the administration of Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, due to the Gaza conflict.