United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed cautious optimism about the implementation of President Donald Trump's peace agreement, which has come under pressure due to bloodshed in Gaza and political intrigues in Jerusalem, during a visit to a new US-led command center in southern Israel, UNN reports with reference to Bloomberg.
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On Friday, Rubio visited a spacious former warehouse that last week became a hub for 200 US military personnel and international partners working on humanitarian, logistical, and security operations in Gaza. His visit to the site came just three days after Vice President J.D. Vance's visit, as top Trump aides seek to bolster the deal, a top foreign policy priority.
While Rubio said there was reason for optimism, he underscored the hard work ahead after the release of hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops earlier this month. For example, the agreement calls for Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union, to disarm and agree to an alternative government for the Gaza Strip, which it has ruled for nearly two decades.
There will be ups and downs. We will not stop pushing until all commitments made here are fulfilled.
Trump faces a serious challenge – establishing lasting peace in a multi-generational conflict where several predecessors have invested significant political capital in efforts that ultimately failed.
The US-led civil-military coordination center, which Rubio visited about 20 km (12 miles) from the Gaza border, is commanded by a three-star US general. Troops from the UK, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Qatar are expected to provide assistance. Ambassador Steven Fagin, a career US foreign service officer and ambassador to Yemen since 2022, will be the civilian head of the center, the State Department announced on Friday.
Hamas recently killed two Israeli soldiers in an ambush in Gaza, and Israel launched deadly airstrikes, raising fears that the agreement could unravel.
Rubio's visit came after right-wing rivals of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nearly passed a bill to annex the West Bank in its first parliamentary reading, drawing a US rebuke and risking the wrath of Arab countries crucial to the peace deal. Trump has also stated that he will not allow Israeli annexation.
Looking ahead, Rubio said it might be necessary to create a multinational International Stabilization Force to be formed to provide security in Gaza and train new Palestinian police forces approved by the UN Security Council. Some countries are demanding this step for participation, he said.
"The good news is that no one seems to want to restart the war," said Dennis Ross, who was President Bill Clinton's envoy to the region and is now a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. However, "there will be no Israeli withdrawal or reconstruction in Gaza unless there is disarmament," he said.
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The Israel Defense Forces reported strikes on a Hezbollah military complex and a precision missile production facility in Beqaa and northern Lebanon.
"The storage of weapons, the presence of terrorist infrastructure facilities, and the conduct of military exercises against the State of Israel by Hezbollah terrorists are a gross violation of agreements between Israel and Lebanon and pose a threat to the State of Israel," the statement said.
The Israeli Prime Minister will assist in Washington's implementation of a peace plan in the Gaza Strip, but he has several red lines regarding Hamas's role in the enclave after the war.