US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday to discuss the diplomatic and strategic fallout from last week’s Israeli strike in Qatar, a move that provoked international condemnation and drew criticism from President Donald Trump.
The attack, which Israeli officials say targeted senior Hamas leaders on Qatari territory, has strained relations with a key Gulf ally that hosts a major US airbase and has played a mediator role in efforts to end the war in Gaza. Rubio said publicly that "obviously we're not happy about it. The president was not happy about it. Now we need to move forward and figure out what comes next." Netanyahu said the US-Israel relationship remained firm, describing it as "durable as the stones in the Western Wall" during a short visit to the holy site with Rubio. The two were accompanied by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Both men declined to answer reporters' questions about the strike.
Qatar’s leadership has reacted strongly. Arab leaders convened a summit in support of Doha over the weekend, and the Qatari prime minister urged the international community to avoid "double standards" and to hold Israel to account. Qatar has served as a venue for indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel and has been central to humanitarian and diplomatic channels relating to Gaza.
Beyond the diplomatic rift with Qatar, Rubio and Netanyahu were expected to discuss operational plans for Gaza City and the broader pattern of Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. Israeli forces over the weekend continued demolition of residential buildings in Gaza City and, according to Israeli media reports, prepared to launch ground operations in western neighbourhoods. The Israeli military has ordered Gaza City residents to move south to a central area of the strip; it estimated that about 250,000 people had fled, though aid groups and local residents say hundreds of thousands remain in place.
Humanitarian sources and residents reported multiple reasons for remaining in or returning to the north: many cannot afford to move south, some view the southern areas as unsafe because of ongoing strikes there, and others said attempts to relocate failed when they were unable to erect shelters and ultimately returned to Gaza City.
The meeting in Jerusalem took place as the United Nations General Assembly prepares to meet next week. Several of Israel’s Western allies, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia and Belgium, are expected to recognise the State of Palestine at or ahead of the assembly, signalling growing international pressure and potential diplomatic consequences for Israel amid its campaign in Gaza.
US officials have signalled a need to manage the bilateral relationship with Israel while addressing regional repercussions of the Qatar strike and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The visit by Rubio comes amid a delicate balancing act: reaffirming strategic ties with Israel while responding to the concerns of Gulf partners whose cooperation is considered critical for US military posture and regional mediation efforts.
Netanyahu and Rubio placed a note in the Western Wall during their brief visit, a symbolic gesture that Netanyahu used to underscore the durability of ties between the two countries. Outside the formal meeting, details of any agreements or concrete steps to de-escalate diplomatic tensions were not disclosed; both sides said discussions would continue in the coming days as international and regional actors watched closely.
The Qatar strike, the ongoing military campaign in Gaza, and the expected wave of diplomatic recognition for Palestine at the UN have combined to create a complex and fast-moving set of issues for US, Israeli and Gulf leaders to navigate. Officials from the countries involved have said little publicly about immediate resolutions, and humanitarian organisations continue to express concern about civilian safety and access to aid in Gaza as military operations intensify.