U.S. Secretary of State Arrives in Israel on a Visit to Show Support After Doha Airstrike Disagreement

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Israel for an official visit aimed at reaffirming strong American solidarity with Tel Aviv. The visit comes at a sensitive time, following Israeli strikes that targeted the Qatari capital, Doha, which sparked a rare disagreement between the two allies.

Before his departure, Rubio emphasized that the difference of opinion regarding the attack on Qatar would not change America's unwavering support for Tel Aviv. During his visit, Rubio is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials. Despite criticism of the Israeli raids from U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as from regional and international parties, Rubio reiterated his country's full support for Israel.

Rubio's visit takes place amid increasing international pressure on Israel over the escalation of its military operations in the northern Gaza Strip. It also comes just days before the United Nations General Assembly meetings, where several Western countries intend to recognize a Palestinian state, a move strongly condemned by both Israel and Washington.

The unprecedented Israeli strikes angered Doha, a key U.S. ally in the region, and drew condemnation from regional and international parties. These raids cast a negative shadow on efforts to reach a truce and secure the release of hostages in Gaza, especially since Qatar is a primary party in the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas. For its part, Hamas confirmed that the head of its negotiating delegation, Khalil al-Hayya, survived the bombing.

Rubio clarified before his trip that Trump's rare criticism of Israel would not change the nature of their relationship. He stated, "What happened, happened. We're obviously not happy about it, and the president wasn't happy about it." However, he stressed that "this is not going to change the nature of our relationship with the Israelis, but we do have to discuss it... and mainly what is the impact it's going to have" on efforts to reach a truce. Rubio added, "We need to move forward and figure out what comes next, because at the end of the day, when all is said and done, there's a group called Hamas that's still around, and it's an evil group."

It is worth noting that Qatar, in cooperation with the United States and Egypt, plays a pivotal role in mediation efforts to reach a truce in the Gaza Strip, and Doha has hosted many rounds of indirect negotiations between the two sides.