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| Photo/Israel /Benjamin Netanyahu |
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, where Israel's recent strike in Qatar, which targeted senior Hamas figures, was a central topic of debate.
The strike, condemned internationally and criticized by President Donald Trump, has increased anxiety, causing Rubio to express his dissatisfaction and emphasize the need to move forward.
This meeting coincides with the pro-Qatar Arab summit, where its prime minister called for an end to the two perceived standards and accountability for Israel. When Netanyahu confirmed the strength of U.S.-Israel relations during his visit , said the relation is 'durable ' as Western Wall, Rubio participated in a traditional note-keeping ritual there, while avoiding questions about ongoing military action in Gaza.
The talks are also expected to focus on Israel's military strategies in Gaza City and settlement expansion in the West Bank, as the Israeli military continues its operations in the region.
It has demanded that Gaza City's residents leave and head south to a central area of the strip. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimate about 250,000 Palestinians have fled, though hundreds of thousands are believed to remain in the area.
Some say they cannot afford to go south, while others say southern Gaza is not safe as Israel has carried out air strikes there too. Some have said they attempted to go south but were unable to pitch their tents, so returned to Gaza City.
Netanyahu and Rubio's meeting comes ahead of a UN General Assembly session next week, at which some leading US allies - including the UK, France, Canada, Australia and Belgium - are expected to recognise the State of Palestine.
This expected recognition has intensified debate within Israel around the future of the West Bank, with more hardline elements of the government insisting annexation is the only way to prevent a Palestinian state.
In late August, the Israeli government gave final approval for the E1 settlement project east of Jerusalem, which would, in effect, split the West Bank in two - dividing the Palestinian populations in the north and south.