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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that the United States, Israel and other mediators of the Gaza peace deal shared intelligence to avert a possible attack last weekend and would do so in the future.
“We put out a message through the State Department and also sent it to our mediators about an imminent attack, and that did not happen,” he told reporters as he flew from Israel to Qatar. “So the goal here is to identify a threat before it happens.”
This comes a week after the State Department said it had “credible reports” that Hamas was planning an attack on Palestinian civilians in violation of the agreement.
Rubio said Saturday that the United States has spoken with countries including Qatar, Egypt and Turkey that want to contribute to an international stabilization force in the region. He added that Indonesia and Azerbaijan were also interested.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to the media after visiting the Civil-Military Coordination Center in southern Israel on Friday. (Fadel Senna/Pool photo via AP)
But, he added, “many countries that want to be part of it cannot do so without” a United Nations resolution supporting the force.
Rubio also met with President Donald Trump in Qatar ahead of the president’s Asian tour.
Vice President JD Vance was also in Israel earlier this week with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner to try to shore up the ceasefire agreement, which went into effect earlier this month.
Trump ordered envoy to warn Qatar ahead of ‘unfortunate’ Israeli strike, White House says
President Donald Trump meets with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, seated left, and the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, seated right, on Saturday aboard Air Force One in Doha, Qatar. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Next week, Rubio said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine is also expected to visit Israel.
Trump thanked Qatar for its contribution to the conclusion of the peace agreement during his meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
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A military vehicle maneuvers in Gaza, seen on Friday from the Israeli side of the border. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)
“This should be a lasting peace,” Trump told reporters of the deal.
His visit to Qatar was part of a refueling stopover before heading to Asia.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
