Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday signaled that he was moving ahead with U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 proposal to transfer the Palestinian population out of Gaza, calling it 鈥渢he only viable plan to enable a different future鈥� for the region.
Netanyahu discussed the plan with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who kicked off a Middle East visit by endorsing Israel鈥檚 war aims in Gaza, saying Hamas 鈥渕ust be eradicated.鈥� That created further doubt around the as talks on its second phase are yet to begin.
Rubio, in his upcoming stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, is likely to face more over Trump鈥檚 proposal, which includes redeveloping Gaza under U.S. ownership. Netanyahu has said all emigration from Gaza should be 鈥渧oluntary,鈥� but rights groups and other critics say that the plan amounts to coercion given the territory鈥檚 vast destruction.
Netanyahu said he and Trump have a 鈥渃ommon strategy鈥� for Gaza. Echoing Trump, he said 鈥渢he gates of hell would be open鈥� if Hamas doesn鈥檛 release dozens of remaining hostages abducted in the militant group鈥檚 attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that triggered the 16-month war.
The ceasefire鈥檚 first phase ends in two weeks. Negotiations were meant to begin two weeks ago on the , in which Hamas would release dozens of remaining hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces
Trump鈥檚 special Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, told Fox News that 鈥減hase two is absolutely going to begin鈥� and he had 鈥漹ery productive鈥� calls Sunday with Netanyahu and officials from Egypt and Qatar, which serve as mediators, about continuing talks this week. He also said hostages to be released include 19 Israeli soldiers and 鈥渨e believe all of them are alive.鈥�
Netanyahu鈥檚 office said Israel鈥檚 security Cabinet would meet Monday to discuss the second phase.
Trump later told journalists it is 鈥渦p to Israel what the next step is, in consultation with me.鈥�
In another sign of closing ranks, Israel鈥檚 Defense Ministry said it received a shipment of 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) MK-84 munitions from the United States. The Biden administration of such bombs last year over concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza.
Resuming the war could doom hostages
This week marks 500 days of the war. Netanyahu has signaled readiness to resume the fighting after the ceasefire鈥檚 current phase, though it could be a death sentence for remaining hostages.
Rubio said peace becomes impossible as long as Hamas 鈥渟tands as a force that can govern or as a force that can administer or as a force that can threaten by use of violence,鈥� adding, 鈥淚t must be eradicated.鈥�
Hamas when the ceasefire began last month, despite suffering heavy losses.
Netanyahu has offered Hamas a chance to surrender and send top leaders into exile. Hamas has rejected that scenario and insists on Palestinian rule. Spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou told The Associated Press the group accepts a Palestinian unity government or a technocratic committee to run Gaza.
Netanyahu instructed negotiators to leave for Cairo on Monday to discuss further implementation of the ceasefire鈥檚 first phase, as issues over delivery of shelter materials continue.
The Israeli military, meanwhile, said it carried out an airstrike on people who approached forces in southern Gaza. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry said it killed three of its police officers while they secured the entry of aid trucks near Rafah on the Egyptian border.
鈥業f someone has a better plan 鈥� that鈥檚 great鈥�
In an interview last week, Rubio indicated that Trump鈥檚 Gaza proposal was in part aimed at pressuring Arab states to make their own postwar plan that would be acceptable to Israel.
Rubio also appeared to suggest that Arab countries send troops to combat Hamas.
鈥淚f the Arab countries have a better plan, then that鈥檚 great,鈥� Rubio said Thursday on the 鈥淐lay and Buck Show.鈥�
But 鈥淗amas has guns,鈥� he added. 鈥淪omeone has to confront those guys. It鈥檚 not going to be American soldiers. And if the countries in the region can鈥檛 figure that piece out, then Israel is going to have to do it.鈥�
Rubio wasn鈥檛 scheduled to meet with Palestinians on his trip.
Arabs have limited options
For Arab leaders, facilitating the mass expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza or battling Palestinian militants on behalf of Israel are nightmare scenarios that would bring fierce domestic criticism and potentially destabilize an already volatile region.
Egypt hosts and is working with other countries on a counterproposal that would allow for Gaza鈥檚 rebuilding without removing its population. Human rights groups say the expulsion of Palestinians .
Egypt has warned that any mass influx of Palestinians from Gaza would undermine its nearly half-century peace treaty with Israel, a cornerstone of U.S. influence in the region.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia also have rejected any mass displacement of Palestinians.
The UAE was the driving force behind the 2020 Abraham Accords in which four Arab states 鈥� Bahrain, the UAE, Morocco and Sudan 鈥� normalized relations with Israel during Trump鈥檚 previous term. Trump hopes to expand the accords to include Saudi Arabia, potentially offering closer U.S. defense ties, but the kingdom has said it won鈥檛 normalize relations with Israel without a pathway to a Palestinian state.
Rubio won鈥檛 be visiting Egypt or Jordan, close U.S. allies at peace with Israel that any influx of Palestinian refugees. Trump has suggested he might slash U.S. aid if they don鈥檛 comply, which could be devastating for their economies.
Rubio is also skipping Qatar.
Arab and Muslim countries have conditioned any support for postwar Gaza on a return to Palestinian governance with a pathway to statehood in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories that Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war.
Israel has ruled out a Palestinian state and any role in Gaza for the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, whose forces were driven out when Hamas seized power there in 2007.
