Little daylight between US and Israel evident as Rubio and Netanyahu meet

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JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and the United States showed a unified front on Monday in the face of growing international anger over Israel’s airstrikes on Hamas leaders on Qatar and its intensifying bombardment of Gaza City.

As Arab and Muslim leaders met in Doha to condemn Israel’s attack last week in Qatar and new rounds of criticism were aired over Israeli plans to occupy Gaza City, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood shoulder-to-shoulder in Jerusalem and downplayed the furor that had, at least for a short time, taken the Trump administration aback.

The State Department said Rubio would travel to Qatar on Tuesday for a brief visit, as the administration appears keen to ease tensions between its two close allies, before flying on to London to join President Donald Trump on his state visit to Britain.

There were no signs of U.S. frustration or annoyance with Israel’s latest moves, although Trump had made clear his displeasure with Israel’s unilateral strike on Hamas in Qatar, which is a close U.S. partner.

And, both Netanyahu and Rubio said they agreed that the only way to end the conflict in Gaza is through the elimination of Hamas and the release of all hostages, setting aside calls for an interim ceasefire in favor of an immediate end to the conflict.

Rubio had come to Israel seeking answers from Netanyahu about how Israel intended to proceed in Gaza and assess its interest in Qatar retaining a mediating role. The two said after their talks that the only way to peace is the complete destruction of Hamas and the return of all 48 hostages, around 20 of them believed to be alive.

As long as Hamas is around, "there will be no peace in this region because they are not agents of peace. They are agents of barbarism," Rubio said.

“Your presence here in Israel today is a clear message that America stands with Israel. You stand with us in the face of terror,” said Netanyahu.

Israel continued its attacks on Gaza City, which it aims to take over, ordering the evacuation of another high-rise building, one of the tallest in the city. In recent days, the Israeli military has destroyed multiple high-rises, accusing Hamas of putting surveillance equipment in them.

Airstrikes overnight killed at least 12 people, including children, said health officials at Shifa Hospital, where the bodies were brought.

Rubio’s visit proceeded despite Trump’s anger at Netanyahu over the Israeli strike in Doha, which he said the United States wasn’t notified of beforehand. The Doha attack, which killed at least five lower-ranking Hamas members and a member of the Qatari security forces, appears to have ended attempts to secure an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and the release of hostages.

When asked by a reporter about how the U.S. will handle Israel’s attack in Doha, Rubio didn’t directly answer, saying the U.S. was focused on what happens next and that it will continue to encourage Qatar to play a role in the talks.

Rubio downplayed U.S. concerns about Israel’s latest operations in Gaza City, repeating several times that Trump is determined to see the conflict come to an end and that requires the destruction of Hamas.

And Netanyahu gave no indication that Israel would back down from its strikes on high-rise and other buildings in Gaza City where it says Hamas fighters are hiding.

One of Rubio’s reasons for visiting Jerusalem now was to show support for Israel as it expects to face growing international condemnation of the war at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session. A number of European countries and Canada have said they intend to recognize a Palestinian state over fervent U.S. and Israeli objections.

Some Israeli politicians have hinted that Israel may respond to such moves by annexing part of the West Bank. Rubio said the statehood recognition is actually counterproductive to creating a state through negotiations and suggested that such proclamations are self-serving.

"The only impact they actually have is it makes Hamas feel more emboldened,” he said. “It’s actually served as an impediment to peace."

Netanyahu, who strongly opposes Palestinian statehood, was coy when asked what Israel's response would be. “A future step is a future step, you don’t have to reveal it beforehand. But it is clear that if unilateral actions are taken against us, it simply invites unilateral actions on our part,” he said.

One of the overnight strikes hit a tent housing a family in western Gaza City, killing seven people, said hospital staff. A separate strike hit two neighboring houses.

“It was another night of horror. ... The situation is tragic and getting worse day by day,” said Mohammed Saber, a resident in Gaza City.

Israel has been urging Palestinians in Gaza City to head south. But there is little space for people to shelter in Muwasi, a sprawling, crowded tent camp that Israel has designated as a humanitarian zone and where it has regularly carried out strikes on what it says are militant targets.

On Monday, images showed a steady stream of Palestinians walking and driving along the narrow road by the sea that Israel designated a safe corridor.

The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Most of the hostages have since been released in ceasefires brokered in part by Qatar or other deals.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,871 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn't say how many were civilians or combatants. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, says women and children make up around half the dead.

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Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war