US says Hamas 'must be eradicated', casting doubt on ceasefire

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R). (Photo/AP)

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has fully endorsed Israel's war aims in Palestine's Gaza, saying Hamas “must be eradicated” and throwing the future of the shaky ceasefire into further doubt.

Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Sunday, marking the start of a regional tour that will include visits to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. He is not scheduled to meet with any Palestinians on his trip.

Speaking on Sunday, Rubio said Hamas “cannot continue as a military or government force.”

“As long as it stands as a force that can govern, or as a force that can administer, or as a force that can threaten by use of violence, peace becomes impossible,” Rubio said. "It must be eradicated.”

Such language could complicate efforts to continue talks with Hamas, which, despite suffering heavy losses in the war, remains intact and in control of Gaza.

Their remarks came just two weeks before the first phase of the ceasefire is set to end. The second phase, in which Hamas is to release dozens of remaining hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, has yet to be negotiated.

Ceasefire violations

The Israeli military meanwhile said it carried out an air strike early on Sunday, targeting people who approached its forces in southern Gaza.

The Interior Ministry in Gaza said the strike killed three of its policemen while they were securing the entry of aid trucks near Rafah, on the Egyptian border.

Hamas stressed that the attack was a “serious violation” of the ceasefire and accused Netanyahu of trying to sabotage the deal.

Netanyahu has signalled readiness to resume the war after the current stage. He is also yet to approve the entry of mobile homes and heavy machinery into Gaza, as required by the ceasefire agreement.

US ethnic cleansing plan

Rubio is expected to face pushback from Arab leaders over President Donald Trump's proposal to transfer the Palestinian population out of Gaza and redevelop it under US ownership.

The proposal has received widespread condemnation, with critics calling it "ethnic cleansing" and a "war crime." Many countries in the Muslim and Arab world, as well as European nations such as France, have firmly rejected the idea.

Netanyahu has welcomed the plan, and said he and Trump have a “common strategy” for Gaza's future. Echoing Trump, he said "the gates of hell would be open” if Hamas does not release dozens of remaining hostages abducted in its October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war.

Egypt says it will host an Arab summit on February 27 and is working with other countries on a counterproposal that would allow for Gaza to be rebuilt without removing its population. Human rights groups say the expulsion of Palestinians would violate international law.

Egypt has warned that any mass influx of Palestinians from Gaza would undermine its nearly half-century-old peace treaty with Israel, a cornerstone of American influence in the region.

Arab and Muslim countries have until now conditioned any support for postwar Gaza on a return to Palestinian governance with a pathway to statehood in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel has been occupying since the 1967 Mideast war.

In a radio interview last week on the “Clay and Buck Show”, Rubio also indicated that Trump's proposal was in part aimed at pressuring Arab states to come up with their own postwar plan that would be acceptable to Israel, which says Hamas can have no role in Gaza.

He also appeared to suggest that Arab countries send in troops to combat Hamas.

“Someone has to confront those guys. It’s not going to be American soldiers. And 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.”

UAE, Saudi Arabia visits

Rubio is also set to visit the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, regional heavyweights that have rejected any mass displacement of Palestinians and would be key to any regional response.

The United Arab Emirates was the driving force behind the 2020 Abraham Accords, in which four Arab states normalised relations with Israel during Trump's previous term.

Trump hopes to expand the accords to include Saudi Arabia, potentially offering closer US defence ties, but the kingdom has said it will not normalise relations with Israel without a pathway to a Palestinian state.

Rubio will not be visiting Egypt or Jordan, close US allies at peace with Israel that have refused to accept any influx of Palestinian refugees. Trump has at times suggested he might slash US aid to the two countries, which could be devastating for their economies if they don't comply.

He is also skipping Qatar, which, along with Egypt, had served as a key mediator with Hamas in brokering the ceasefire.

Trump took credit for the ceasefire, which was reached in the closing days of the Biden administration after his Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, joined the talks. But more recently, Trump has suggested that Israel resume the war if the remaining dozens of hostages are not released sooner than planned.

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Source: TRT