WASHINGTON: Israel needs to stop bombing Gaza for an eventual hostage release by Palestinian group Hamas to take place, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday.
“I think the Israelis and everyone acknowledge you can’t release hostages in the middle of strikes, so the strikes will have to stop,” Rubio told CBS News talk show “Face the Nation.”
“There can’t be a war going on in the middle of it.”
In a text exchange with a CNN reporter released Sunday, US President Donald Trump said “yes” when asked if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on board with ending the military campaign in Gaza.
Negotiators from Israel and Hamas were set to hold talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, with Netanyahu expressing hope that hostages held in Gaza could be released within days.
Hamas calls for swift prisoner release as talks set to begin
The diplomatic push follows the Palestinian group’s positive response to Trump’s roadmap for an end to the fighting and the release of captives in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Rubio, who appeared on several Sunday talk shows to speak about the situation in Gaza, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that there were “logistical challenges” to address to pave the way for the hostage release.
He also predicted that the longer-term goals would be “even harder” to attain, in terms of how the war-ravaged territory will be governed and disarming Hamas.
“You can’t set up a government structure in Gaza that’s not Hamas in three days. I mean, it takes some time,” Rubio told NBC.
Trump told CNN he expected clarity “soon” on whether the Palestinian group was committed to peace.
The US president added that if Hamas were to refuse to cede to power, they would face “Complete Obliteration!”
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