Any plan allowing Hamas to rule Gaza would be unacceptable to Israel and ineffective in resolving the conflict, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.
President Donald Trump is willing to take the lead on rebuilding Gaza, as no other viable plans have been proposed, the American diplomat said during an interview on “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show.”
Rubio said that “if someone has a better plan—and we hope they do—if the Arab countries have a better plan, then that’s great. Then they say they do, they’re going to come up with it, we’re going to look at it, see what it’s regarding and what it does.
“Obviously, I can tell you that any plan that leaves Hamas there is going to be a problem because Israel is not going to tolerate it. We’re going to be right back where we were. So—but we’re going to give them a chance to come up with a plan.
“I think they’re working in good faith—and not just to pay for it, by the way, because they’re not just—someone’s going to have to go on the ground. I mean, Hamas has guns. They have weapons. Someone has to confront those guys. Who’s that going to be? It’s not going to be American soldiers. If the countries in the region can’t figure that piece out, then Israel is going to have to do it, and then we’re back to where we’ve been. So that doesn’t solve the problem.”
Rubio also mentioned ongoing diplomatic efforts, including meetings in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Egypt and Jordan, to explore alternative solutions for the Gaza Strip. He made it clear that the Trump administration is open to other proposals but, for now, its plan remains the only option on the table.
Middle East tour
Rubio will visit Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates from Feb. 15-18, Foggy Bottom confirmed on Wednesday.
“Secretary Rubio’s engagements with senior officials will promote U.S. interests in advancing regional cooperation, stability and peace,” State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a press statement.
“The trip will center on freeing American and all other hostages from Hamas captivity, advancing to Phase II of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, and countering the destabilizing activities of the Iranian regime and its proxies,” the statement continued.
Before his first Middle Eastern trip since his Senate confirmation on Jan. 20, the American diplomat traveled to Germany on Thursday to attend the annual Munich Security Conference and the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, both held in the Bavarian city.
His visit follows Trump’s proposal to relocate Gazans out of the Gaza Strip, after which the coastal area would be turned over to U.S. control for rebuilding. It also comes amid Israel’s tenuous truce with the Hamas terrorist group and the release of hostages held in the Strip.
The truce is “tenuous” because Hamas is a terrorist organization responsible for violence against civilians, Rubio told journalist Chris Cuomo by phone on NewsNation on Tuesday.
Rubio noted that Hamas does not operate according to international law, rendering the ceasefire uncertain.
“We’ll see what happens on Saturday. I think the President [Trump]’s been very clear he wants to see those hostages come—be released. He’s tired of this drip, drip every week. There’s some Americans there as well. He wants to see them released, and he’s made very clear that if that’s not the case on Saturday, then then all bets are off. And it’s not going to be good for Hamas,” the secretary of state said.
“But let’s hope that that resolves itself. I don’t think anyone wants to see a resumption of hostilities. But by the same token, we can’t have Hamas deciding what parts of the deal they’re going to live up to and what parts they’re not,” Rubio said.
Rubio on Monday described Hamas as an “evil” organization that must be wiped out.
During an interview on talk radio channel SiriusXM Patriot, he condemned the terrorist group for its treatment of hostages.
“This is an evil organization. Hamas is evil. It’s pure evil. These are monsters. These are savages. That’s a group that needs to be eradicated,” he said.
