16 February,2025 08:22 AM IST | Jerusalem | Agencies
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. Pic/AFP
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is kicking of a Mideast tour in Israel on Sunday, as Arab leaders reel from President Donald Trump's proposal to transfer the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip to other countries and redevelop it under US ownership.
On Rubio's first visit to the region as America's top diplomat he is likely to get a warm welcome from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has praised the plan, and pushback from Arab leaders, who have universally rejected it and are scrambling to come up with a counterproposal.
The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas meanwhile remains intact after a major dispute threatened to unravel it last week. But the sides face a fast-approaching deadline in early March to negotiate the next phase, and the war may resume if they don't reach an agreement.
Netanyahu has signalled readiness to resume the war after the current stage, even if that would leave dozens of hostages in captivity. At the same time, he has offered Hamas a chance to surrender and send its top leaders into exile. Hamas has rejected such a scenario.
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Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu's office released a statement saying he, "greatly appreciates the leadership of President Trump and the ongoing coordination with the United States," as far as the role they played in the latest release of Israeli hostages from Gaza.
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