Marco Rubio lands in 'Israel' for further support despite Qatar strike
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Marco Rubio visits "Israel" after its strike on Qatar, as Trump criticizes the attack and Gaza ceasefire talks face new uncertainty.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with members of the media before departing for "Israel" at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025 (AP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio began a visit to "Israel" on Sunday to reaffirm the Trump administration's unwavering support for its ally amid the genocide in Gaza, in the aftermath of an Israeli strike in Qatar that drew broad international criticism.
The secretary's trip comes after US President Donald Trump decried "Israel" over its strike on Qatar, marking the first Israeli attack against the US ally and grinding the ceasefire talks to a halt.
Before he left for the region on Saturday, Rubio told reporters that Trump was not happy about the strike, but rushed to stress that it would not change the nature of the relationship with the Israelis.
He did say, however, that the two sides would have to talk about the strike's impact on truce efforts.
"Israel's" strike in Doha targeted Hamas leaders who were supposedly gathered to discuss a new ceasefire proposal put forward by the United States, an operation that Netanyahu defended on Saturday by saying that killing senior Hamas officials would remove the main obstacle to ending the war. Yet, the assassination failed, and talks remain stalled.
'Israel' betrays US allies, US continues to pledge support
Analysts in the Gulf called the attack a betrayal and warned that "Israel's" ability to strike inside a key US partner's territory without any consequences undermined confidence in American security guarantees.
The controversy is amplified by Qatar's recent move to deepen its ties with Washington, a development that includes Doha's pledge of more than a trillion dollars in economic commitments with the US just months ago, all while it continues its role as a mediator in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
Qatar's prime minister announced on September 10 that his country is seeking the participation of regional allies in a collective response to "Israel", emphasizing that consultations were underway and an Arab-Islamic summit will be held in the coming days.
Despite the diplomatic storm, Rubio pressed ahead with his schedule after meeting Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the White House, where Trump reportedly assured that such an incident would not happen again on their soil, and he then prepared to travel to "Israel".
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott stated that the mission's goal was to counter "anti-Israel" actions, such as moves toward unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, which he characterized as rewarding "Hamas terrorism". He added that Rubio would meet with captives' families and emphasize Washington's aim of preventing Hamas from ever governing Gaza again.
