US secretary of state Marco Rubio stresses ‘need to continue implementation’ of Gaza ceasefire deal
New US secretary of state Marco Rubio has stressed “the need to continue implementation” of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza during calls to regional leaders.
Read-outs from the US government indicate that during a call with UAE foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed, Donald Trump’s top diplomat “discussed the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the release of the hostages and humanitarian aid for Gaza” and Rubio “reinforced the significance of this agreement for regional security and stability and the need to continue implementation.”
Rubio also spoke to Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. In 2021 a US intelligence report found bin Salman approved the murder of US journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018, but Joe Biden’s administration declined to take direct action against the crown prince.
In the call with bin Salman, Rubio is said by the state department to have “conveyed that he looked forward to advancing shared interests in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and beyond” and “also stressed the threats posed by Iran and its proxies.”
Key events
Trump administration insisting IDF pull out from Lebanon by Sunday as agreed – reports
Israel’s Army Radio reports that the Donald Trump administration in Washington has told Israel that it expects it to comply with Sunday’s deadline to withdraw the IDF from Lebanon.
Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement struck between Israel and Lebanon in November, the IDF were given 60 days to complete its invasion and operations inside Lebanon, and withdraw back behind the UN-drawn blue line which acts as a border between the two countries. The deadline is this weekend.
The IDF has claimed to have been dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure in the south of Lebanon, while also preventing displaced residents from returning to their homes. Tens of thousands of Israelis have also been displaced from their homes by the months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah which the ceasefire aims to stop.
Israel was believed to be seeking, according to reports, a 30 day extension for its invasion before withdrawing. Israeli media reports that it was understood the Biden administration had been minded to permit the extension.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio stresses ‘need to continue implementation’ of Gaza ceasefire deal
New US secretary of state Marco Rubio has stressed “the need to continue implementation” of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza during calls to regional leaders.
Read-outs from the US government indicate that during a call with UAE foreign minister Abdullah bin Zayed, Donald Trump’s top diplomat “discussed the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the release of the hostages and humanitarian aid for Gaza” and Rubio “reinforced the significance of this agreement for regional security and stability and the need to continue implementation.”
Rubio also spoke to Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. In 2021 a US intelligence report found bin Salman approved the murder of US journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018, but Joe Biden’s administration declined to take direct action against the crown prince.
In the call with bin Salman, Rubio is said by the state department to have “conveyed that he looked forward to advancing shared interests in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and beyond” and “also stressed the threats posed by Iran and its proxies.”
Welcome to the Guardian’s ongoing live coverage of conflict in the Middle East. Here are the latest headlines …
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New US secretary of state Marco Rubio has stressed “the need to continue implementation” of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza during calls to regional leaders
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Gaza’s civil defence authority reports that the bodies of at least 162 Palestinians have been recovered from under the rubble and debris left by Israeli strikes on Gaza since the ceasefire came into operation
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Israel’s Army Radio reports that the Donald Trump administration in Washington has told Israel that it expects it to comply with Sunday’s deadline to withdraw the IDF from Lebanon
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The Al Jazeera news network has accused the Palestinian Authority of arresting one of its journalists in a bid to prevent coverage of Israel’s military operation inside the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
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Violent Israeli settlers have been descending on Sinjil and other West Bank towns to protest against the release of Palestinian prisoners
