The ongoing ceasefire in Gaza does not obligate Israel to refrain from taking defensive action, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, addressing Israel's Saturday strike on a Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist in central Gaza.
Rubio's comments came as he accompanied US President Donald Trump on an Air Force One flight on Monday night.
Rubio defended the strike, stating that "all of the mediators agree" that they "don't view [the strike] as a violation of the ceasefire."
In the ceasefire deal negotiations, "Israel didn't surrender its right to self-defense. Obviously, the ceasefire is based on obligations on both sides," Rubio elaborated, "Israel has a right to self-defense, terrorist activity is an imminent threat to Israel."
Rubio also expressed to reporters present on Air Force One that ceasefire mediators would "also like to see Hamas speed up the return of hostage bodies," emphasizing that of the 13 hostages whose remains have not yet been returned from Gaza, two are American citizens.
Details of Saturday's strike
The target of the strike, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist in the Nuseirat area in central Gaza, had been planning to carry out an attack on Israeli forces, according to the IDF.
The IDF deployed troops in the area in accordance with the guidelines of the ceasefire deal, which requires Israeli forces to stay behind a designated 'yellow line.'
The ceasefire guidelines also required Hamas to return all living and deceased hostages within 72 hours of implementation, a deadline that passed on October 13.