Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an expanded meeting at his Jerusalem office on Monday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss Iran, the strike in Doha, and efforts to free hostages, according to their public remarks.
The meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and Israel’s Ambassador to the US Yehiel Leiter.
Netanyahu said that chants of “Death to America, death to Israel” from Iran were less threatening than before, citing Operation Rising Lion and the American strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. “Israel has no greater ally than the United States,” he said.
Asked about the outcome of the strike in Doha, Netanyahu said Israel was still gathering reports. “But the strike sent a clear message to Hamas leaders: ‘You can try to run, but we will find you,’” he said.
Rubio: Focus on next steps with Qatar
Addressing Qatar’s role, Rubio said Washington was concentrating on the future rather than the past. “We are looking at what we can do with Qatar and what its next role will be in the talks. We encourage it to continue its role,” he said.
Rubio added that Hamas could not continue as an armed organization in Gaza and that all hostages must come home. He also warned that “a nuclear Iran ruled by radical clerics is an intolerable risk,” underscoring US concerns about Tehran’s trajectory.
A senior US official told The Jerusalem Post that Israel has been given a green light to continue its operation in Gaza. In recent days, Israel has begun encouraging residents to leave Gaza City, and estimates suggest that more than 300,000 people, about a third of the city’s population, have already departed, bringing the Gaza operation closer to its next phase.
Rubio will travel to Qatar on Tuesday, after his meeting on Monday with top Israeli officials. Israeli officials describe the coordination between the two countries as “maximal,” with the full backing of the American president.
At the same time, a source with knowledge and an Israeli official told the Post that, for now, there are no signals or indications that Hamas is willing to resume talks on a hostage deal.