U.S. President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio, arrived in Israel on Sunday (September 14), amid tensions with fellow U.S. allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, Reuters reports.
Rubio and his wife Jeanette Dousdebes were greeted by the the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee upon disembarking the plane at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv.
Speaking to reporters before departure, Rubio reiterated that the U.S. and Trump were not happy about the strikes.
Rubio said the U.S. relationship with Israel would not be affected, but that he would discuss with the Israelis how the strike would affect Trump’s desire to secure the return of all the hostages held by Hamas, get rid of the militants and end the Gaza war.
After Israel, Rubio is due to join Trump’s planned visit to Britain next week.
Israel’s nearly two-year-long campaign has killed more than 64,000 people in the Palestinian enclave, according to local authorities.
It has sparked a hunger crisis and led to allegations that Israel is committing genocide, including this month by the world’s biggest group of genocide scholars.
Նյութերը գեներացվում են տարբեր կայքերից արհեստական բանականության միջոցով