Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem. In a post on X, the Prime Minister’s Office stated, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at his office in Jerusalem.”
Earlier in the day, Rubio wrote on X, “Arrived in Israel to reaffirm America’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and engage with partners to implement President Trump’s historic peace plan and build on the momentum towards durable peace and integration in the Middle East.”
Meanwhile, according to The Times of Israel, a US official reportedly warned that President Donald Trump could retaliate against Netanyahu if the Israeli leader undermines the Gaza ceasefire deal.
US official told The Times of Israel, “Netanyahu is walking a fine line with President Trump. If he keeps going, he’ll f**k up the Gaza deal. And if he f**ks up the deal, Donald Trump will f**k him.”
The remark reflects growing frustration in Washington with recent political moves in Israel, particularly the Knesset’s vote yesterday to advance two bills to annex parts of the West Bank, which reportedly stunned US officials.
The source told Ravid that US Vice President JD Vance, who was visiting Israel at the time, was shocked by the decision and believes that Israel is acting in an “unsupervised” manner. Netanyahu updated Vance about the Knesset vote during the vice president’s visit, assuring him that it was merely a “preliminary vote” and would “go nowhere,” the public broadcaster Kan reported. Vance responded, “This cannot happen while I am visiting here.”
Netanyahu had been warned by American officials that the vote could provoke a backlash and destabilize ongoing negotiations over the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Hamas terrorists responsible for the abduction of former hostages Noa Argamani, Avinatan Or and Eitan Mor from the Nova music festival, and others who participated in the October 7, 2023, onslaught, were killed in recent strikes in the Gaza Strip, the IDF and Shin Bet announce, as per The Times of Israel.
(With ANI Inputs)
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Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
