Israel’s prime minister has said the visit to Jerusalem by the US secretary of state is a clear message that America stands with Israel.
Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel and America “stood together in the face of terror” in what he called the “incredible lies directed at Israel”.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Hamas needed to “cease to exist”, and urged Qatar to continue to play a constructive role on Gaza.
The meeting between Rubio and Netanyahu comes as Arab leaders hold a summit in a show of support for Qatar following last week’s attack from Israel.
The strike on Qatar, which the IDF said targeted senior Hamas leaders, drew international outrage and was criticised by President Donald Trump.
In response to a question from the BBC about whether Israel’s strike had damaged US relations in the region, Rubio said Washington maintained "strong relationships with our Gulf allies".
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