Gaza security force to include countries Israel 'comfortable with,' Rubio says - Jerusalem Post Staff

 

by Jerusalem Post Staff

US Secretary of State: UNRWA a subsidiary of Hamas, has no role in Gaza • West Bank annexation "a threat to the peace process"

 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the media after visiting the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel on October 24, 2025.

(photo credit: FADEL SENNA/Pool via REUTERS)

 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the Trump-proposed international peace force in Gaza would have to be comprised of countries that Israel approves during a press conference in Kiryat Gat on Friday. 

"To get through all of the things we are trying to achieve, it's not gonna be a linear journey. There's gonna be ups and downs and twists and turns. But I think we have a lot of reason for healthy optimism about the progress being made," he stated. 

"A lot of good progress is being made on a number of different fronts," Rubio added. 

Rubio said that the future of governance in Gaza still needs to be worked out among Israel and partner nations, but could not include Hamas, adding that any potential role for the Palestinian Authority has yet to be determined. He added that UNRWA cannot have a role in the Gaza Strip and called it a "subsidiary of Hamas."

LIVE: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Israel https://t.co/F3zgo0RijB

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 24, 2025

Army Radio also quoted Rubio saying that "if Hamas does not disarm, it will be a violation of the agreement; everyone agrees that Hamas will not control Gaza. "There is no Plan B; this is the only plan, and we will not stop pushing until all commitments are met."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with US military personnel as he visits the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel on October 24, 2025. (credit: FADEL SENNA/Pool via REUTERS)

When asked if Israel would have to ask US President Donald Trump to renew the fighting in Gaza if needed, Rubio didn't give a straight answer, but stated that the US was "very committed to Israel's security."

Rubio also stated that the US and its partners in the region would have a growing role in the activities in Gaza. 

Rubio says West Bank annexation counterproductive to Gaza peace

The secretary of state added that he did not believe that Israel would annex the West Bank, and called the vote "a threat to the peace process."

This comes after the Knesset advanced a bill regarding Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, which Rubio said was "counterproductive." 

"They passed a vote in the Knesset, but the president [Donald Trump] has made clear that’s not something we’d be supportive of right now," he told reporters on the tarmac before boarding his flight to depart for Israel. "We think there’s potential for it to threaten the peace deal."

"They’re a democracy, people are going to have their votes, people are going to take these positions, but at this time we think it might be counterproductive," he added.

Before the conference, the secretary of state received a security briefing from generals and met with senior IDF officials. 

In a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, Rubio noted the challenges of the Gaza deal.  

"We have more work ahead of us, but we feel very positive about it. We've been making good progress," Rubio said.

"We want to advance peace; we still have security challenges, but I think that we can work together, and by working together, both address the challenges and seize the opportunities, and plenty of both," Netanyahu stated. 

Jerusalem Post Staff

Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-871525

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