Shafaq News – Middle East

Israel has set specific conditions for the deployment of an international security force in the Gaza Strip, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed on Friday.

During a visit to the Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat, Israel, Rubio emphasized that the countries contributing troops to the mission “must be acceptable to Israel,” reaffirming Washington’s commitment to the Gaza Agreement.

“We are making significant progress, and Hamas will have no role in Gaza’s future,” Rubio stated, adding that the enclave “will not pose any threat to Israel.”

He warned that if Hamas violates the agreement, “other mechanisms will be adopted to disarm it,” noting that the current focus remains on ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said several Middle Eastern countries have offered to send forces into Gaza if Hamas breaches the ceasefire agreement.

Commenting on the Israeli Knesset’s preliminary vote to annex the West Bank, Rubio described the move as “an embarrassment” for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expressed his belief that “the annexation of the West Bank will not take place.”

Meanwhile, Trump warned in an interview with Times magazine that Israel would lose all US support if it had proceeded with annexing the West Bank.