JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Israel on Sunday as its military intensified attacks on northern Gaza, flattening multiple high-rise building and killing at least 13 Palestinians.
Rubio said before the trip that he would seek answers from Israeli officials about their view of a path forward in Gaza, following Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar last week that upended efforts to broker an end to the conflict.
His two-day visit also represents a show of support for the increasingly isolated Israel as the United Nations holds what is expected to be a contentious debate next week on commitment to the creation of a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly opposes the recognition of a Palestinian state.
Qatar fallout
Rubio’s visit proceeded despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s anger at Netanyahu over the Israeli strike in Doha, which he said the United States wasn’t notified of beforehand.
On Sunday, Netanyahu, Rubio and their wives, along with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and his wife, toured the Western Wall and the excavated tunnels near it.
“I think his (Rubio’s) visit here is a testament to the durability, the strength of the Israeli-American alliance. It’s as strong and as durable as the stones of the Western Wall we just touched,” Netanyahu said.
On Friday, Rubio and Trump met with Qatar’s prime minister about the fallout from the Israeli operation. The back-to-back meetings with Israel and Qatar illustrate how the Trump administration is trying to balance relations between key Middle East allies despite widespread international condemnation of the attack.
The Doha attack, which killed at least six people, also appears to have ended attempts to secure an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and the release of hostages before the upcom …