Secretary of State Marco Rubio is currently en route to Qatar following a visit to Israel, amidst rising tensions due to an attack on Doha that specifically targeted Hamas officials.
Israel has issued threats of further strikes if designated terrorist factions remain within the area.
The State Department revealed Rubio’s revised travel itinerary on Monday, after he spent two days in Israel for discussions.
As the national security adviser, Rubio aimed to express support for Israel, even though President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seem to have differing views.
However, the back-to-back trips highlight the difficulties the Trump administration faces in managing U.S. backing for Israel’s military actions against Qatar, especially without prior consultations or clear forecasts for U.S. involvement.
While in Jerusalem, Rubio stood united with Israel on Monday alongside Netanyahu.
When questioned about whether he would caution Israel against further attacks on Qatar, Rubio seemed more focused on encouraging Doha to assume a “constructive role” following the Israel-Hamas hostilities in Gaza.
“We’ll concentrate on what we can do moving forward,” he commented.
Qatar appears eager to strengthen its military ties with the U.S. to prevent any future strikes by Israel. Al Udeid Air Force Base, located in Qatar, is home to the largest U.S. military presence in the region.
Trump has expressed his frustration with Israel’s strike on Qatar, advising them to “be careful.” The U.S. and the UN Security Council agreed on a joint statement that condemns the attack without explicitly naming Israel as the aggressor.
On the same day, Qatar hosted members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), who denounced the Israeli strikes in Gulf states and linked them with the situation of Palestinians in Gaza during the conflict against Hamas.
“The blatant Israeli attack on the sovereignty of Qatar represents yet another effort by Israel to escalate its military aggression, threatening the security and stability of the region, while flaunting international laws and resolutions,” they stated.
International condemnation of Israel has escalated following the strike, with Qatar accusing Netanyahu of undermining ceasefire negotiations with Hamas and the release of hostages, as Qatari officials have been acting as mediators.
Netanyahu has authorized significant military actions aimed at taking control of Gaza, part of his campaign to eradicate Hamas in the wake of the terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023.
Despite tensions within his national security team aiming for a ceasefire and hostage negotiations, Trump seems to have given businesses implicit approval to continue operations. Last week, Steve Witkov, the envoy for Trump’s peace initiative, presented Hamas with a new ceasefire proposal, coinciding with Israel’s decision to initiate strikes that resulted in the deaths of multiple Hamas officials in Doha.
Rubio mentioned on Monday that defeating Hamas by military means might be more feasible than reaching a negotiated settlement. However, he emphasized that the U.S. still aims to disarm Hamas, maintain some control in Gaza, and pursue efforts to secure the release of hostages.
“We’ll keep striving for that, as it’s the ideal scenario. But ultimately, we might find ourselves needing a short military operation to eliminate them,” he stated.
