US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Monday that Hamas was embraced by the moves of Great Britain, France and other American allies to recognize a Palestinian state.
“They are largely symbolic – they really have no impact on us to bring us closer to a Palestinian state. The only impact they really have is that it makes Hamas more embraced,” said Rubio at a joint press conference in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“He actually served as an obstacle to peace,” said Rubio.
Rubio said that sometimes, in the past, Hamas “has moved away from the agreements they had really accepted, but they then see the type of international support they believe they get”.
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He said he would continue to raise concerns directly to the American allies because he had been asked about his message to Great Britain, whom he will visit on Tuesday with President Donald Trump.
“It actually harms the cause they think they are moving forward,” said Rubio.
Rubio went to Jerusalem a week before a United Nations Summit in New York on the recognition of a Palestinian State led by French President Emmanuel Macron, who expressed an exasperation at the offensive of Israel of almost two years in Gaza and sought to strengthen the rivals of Hamas in the Palestinian authority.
The United States supports Qatar’s role in Gaza’s discussions, Rubio tells Israel
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Israel on Monday that the United States had supported the “constructive role” by Qatar in mediation in Gaza, after an Israeli strike on the Gulf against Hamas.
President Donald Trump and Rubio both declared that they were opposed to the attack last week against Qatar, which houses the largest American air base in the Middle East.
When he was asked what he had said to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Rubio said: “We focus on what is happening now, what’s going on, what role can Qatar play eventually by achieving a result” to put an end to the Gaza War.
“We will continue to encourage Qatar to play a constructive role in this regard,” said Rubio at a joint press conference with Netanyahu.
Netanyahu defended the Israeli strike against Hamas, which led the attack on October 7, 2023 against Israel.
“We assume full responsibility for this because we think that terrorists should not receive a paradise and people who have planned the worst massacre of the Jewish people because the Holocaust cannot have immunity,” said Netanyahu.
He compared the strike to the way the US military acted “very boldly” after September 11, 2001, with his war against Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and the 2011 raid in Pakistan who killed the Mastermind attack Osama bin Laden.
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“The countries that condemn Israel today have not come and said, well, what a terrible thing was done, Pakistan’s sovereignty was raped, Afghanistan’s sovereignty was raped,” said Netanyahu.
“You don’t have such sovereignty when you actually give terrorists a base,” he said.
Before the attack on October 7, Israel and the United States would have discreetly encouraged the role of Qatar, including its transfer of millions of dollars to Hamas in the hope of maintaining stability in Gaza.
Israel and the United States also considered Qatar, with its close relations with Washington, as a better place to keep an eye on Hamas and prevent activists from based in Iran, whose office openly supports the group.
A prestigious Defense Study Institute managed by the British government will not accept third Israeli cycle from September 2026 during the Gaza War, the Defense Ministry announced on Monday.
UK Defense Academy to Israeli bar on the Gaza War
The British Defense Ministry (MOD) has confirmed to AFP that registration for the Israelis of the Royal College Studies would be interrupted next year, but current students would be authorized to stay.
According to his website, the part of the post-diplum college of the United Kingdom Academy offers training for “strategic thinkers and managers within the armed forces and the public service”, according to his website, with international students authorized to study specific courses.
“British military education courses have long been open to staff of a wide range of countries, all British military courses emphasize compliance with international humanitarian law,” said a MOD spokesman.
“However, the Israeli government’s decision to degenerate its military operation more in Gaza is erroneous,” said the spokesman, calling for an “immediate ceasefire”.
An official of the British Defense Ministry told Parliament in June that the college provided “non -combatant academic courses” at “less than five” members of the Israeli army.
Amir Baram, the director general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, who studied at the college, denounced the decision of “discriminatory law” and “disloyalty to an ally at war”.
