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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that the United States was "not happy" about Israel's unprecedented air strikes on Qatar this week but emphasized the attack would not alter America's alliance with Israel.
Speaking to reporters before departing for the Middle East, Rubio acknowledged the Tuesday strikes had created significant diplomatic complications while maintaining that Washington's relationship with Israel remains unchanged.
"What's happened has happened. Obviously, we were not happy about it, the president was not happy about it," Rubio said. "It's not going to change the nature of our relationship with the Israelis, but we are going to have to talk about it."
The Israeli strikes marked the first time Israel has attacked Qatar, a key U.S. ally in the Gulf region that has served as a crucial mediator in Gaza ceasefire negotiations. The attacks targeted Hamas leaders who had gathered in Qatar to discuss a new truce proposal advanced by the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump has called Israel's operation "unfortunate" and criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying American officials learned of the planned strikes too late to prevent them.
The strikes have significantly strained ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, where fighting between Israel and Hamas has continued for months. Rubio said discussions with Israeli officials would focus on the impact on truce negotiations.
"We need to move forward and figure out what comes next, because at the end of the day, when all is said and done, there is still a group called Hamas, which is an evil group," Rubio said.
The State Department said this week that Rubio would discuss "operational goals and objectives" with Israel and demonstrate "the US commitment to Israeli security" during his visit.
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Rubio also confirmed he would participate in the inauguration of a new visitor tunnel in Jerusalem's Old City leading to the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site, which Muslims revere as the Al-Aqsa compound.
The secretary of state's trip comes just over a week before France leads a September 22 United Nations summit where several Western nations plan to formally recognize a Palestinian state based in the West Bank. France has grown increasingly critical of Israel's military campaign in Gaza and has rejected U.S. and Israeli objections to the recognition initiative, arguing for a new diplomatic approach to Palestinian statehood.
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