U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a negotiated settlement that would see Hamas disarm and free hostages "probably won’t happen," warning Monday that Washington and its partners must be prepared for the possibility that the only way to end the nearly three-year war is by eliminating Hamas as a military threat.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Rubio said Hamas "can surrender tonight if they want, lay down their weapons," but added that outcome was unlikely because, in his words, "savage terrorists don’t often agree to disarm." He said the United States preferred a diplomatic resolution but would not rely on it as the sole path forward.
Rubio repeated U.S. demands that all hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks be returned and said the conflict could only be considered over when Hamas no longer posed a threat. "How does it end? It ends by eliminating the people who did it by ending them as a threat. It ends by releasing every single hostage, both living and deceased," he said.
He described an "ideal outcome" in which Hamas would cease being a terrorist organization, lay down its arms and release hostages, including those held by Hamas as alleged human shields in Gaza. "It’s one that’s been worked on. But I think we have to be prepared for the fact that savage terrorists don’t normally agree to things like that," Rubio said, adding that a decisive military operation "may require, ultimately, a concise military operation to eliminate them."
Rubio was in Israel for talks less than a week after Israel struck targets in Qatar identified as linked to Hamas leadership, an action the notes said the Trump administration claimed it had no advance notice of. Rubio said he planned to travel to Doha later in the week to discuss with Qatari officials "what role can Qatar play possibly in reaching an outcome here" that would end hostilities, secure the release of hostages and help create a better future for people in Gaza.
He said the United States would press Qatar to play a constructive role while maintaining a sober view of the conflict's realities. "We’re focused, because at the end of the day, no matter what has happened, these fundamentals still remain: There is still a Hamas, there is still 48 hostages [dead and alive], and there is still a war going on," Rubio said.
International efforts have since 2023 sought to secure cease-fires, hostage releases and humanitarian access to Gaza amid intense fighting that began after the Oct. 7 attacks and has produced high numbers of casualties on both sides. Rubio said that once hostages were freed and Hamas no longer posed a threat, the international community could begin work to provide Gaza's civilians with reconstruction and a more stable future.
Rubio’s remarks underline a U.S. stance that balances support for diplomatic channels with a readiness to back Israel's efforts to remove what U.S. officials describe as a persistent terrorist threat. They come as regional and international actors, including Qatar, continue to be engaged in shuttle diplomacy to seek hostage releases and de-escalation while humanitarian needs in Gaza remain acute.
The secretary's visit followed months of talks and intermittent cease-fire arrangements that have produced some prisoner exchanges but not a comprehensive end to hostilities. Rubio emphasized both the continued pursuit of diplomatic options and the need to prepare for outcomes in which military action remains the primary means to disable Hamas’s operational capabilities.