Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call on Saturday, reaffirming their joint commitment to shared strategic goals in the Gaza Strip — most notably, the disarmament of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, and the return of the bodies of captives.

Netanyahu and Rubio discuss Gaza ceasefire

Netanyahu’s office announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the two officials concluded their discussions at the end of Rubio’s two-day visit to “Israel”.

"The Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and The Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a concluding phone call at the end of SecRubio's visit to Israel," the statement read.

During the call, Netanyahu thanked Rubio for the visit and emphasized continued close cooperation between Washington and “Tel Aviv”, specifically in the efforts to return the remaining bodies of hostages and push for the disarmament and demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.

US State Department Confirms Call, Backs Trump’s Gaza Plan

The US State Department also issued a statement confirming the call. Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said:

"Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, continuing discussions on our collective effort to implement President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict in Gaza. During the call, Secretary Rubio and Prime Minister Netanyahu affirmed the strategic relationship between the U.S. and Israel."

Rubio’s visit to “Israel” was reportedly part of an effort to support US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace initiative for Gaza.

Rubio arrived in “Israel” on Thursday and concluded his visit on Saturday. His visit follows a series of recent high-profile US diplomatic missions to the region. US Vice President JD Vance visited “Israel” earlier this week, along with Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, a senior adviser and son-in-law of Trump.