Rubio Told Egypt about Need to Stop Hamas from Governing Gaza Again

Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
TT
20

Rubio Told Egypt about Need to Stop Hamas from Governing Gaza Again

Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER
Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Egypt's foreign minister on Tuesday it was important to ensure Hamas can never govern Gaza again, the State Department said, with their call coming after President Donald Trump suggested Egypt and Jordan should take more Palestinians.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Trump on Saturday floated a plan to "clean out" Gaza, where Israel's war has killed tens of thousands and caused a humanitarian crisis, in comments that echoed long-standing Palestinian fears of being permanently driven from their homes.

The suggestion by Trump was not mentioned in the US State Department statement released on Tuesday after the call between Rubio and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Reuters said.

Jordan and Egypt had pushed back over the weekend after Trump's comments that they should take in Palestinians from Gaza. Asked if this was a temporary or long-term solution, Trump had said: "Could be either."

KEY QUOTES

"He (Rubio) also reinforced the importance of holding Hamas accountable," the State Department said after Tuesday's call.

"The Secretary reiterated the importance of close cooperation to advance post-conflict planning to ensure Hamas can never govern Gaza or threaten Israel again."

CONTEXT

Rubio held a call a day earlier with Jordan's King Abdullah and the US statement after that call, too, did not mention Trump's remarks on Palestinian displacement. The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas group attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza killed over 47,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, and led to accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies. The fighting has currently paused amid a fragile ceasefire.



Suez Canal Chief: Red Sea Crisis Did Not Create Sustainable Route to Replace Canal

Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, speaks during an interview with Reuters in his office in the city of Ismailia, Egypt April 6, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, speaks during an interview with Reuters in his office in the city of Ismailia, Egypt April 6, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
TT
20

Suez Canal Chief: Red Sea Crisis Did Not Create Sustainable Route to Replace Canal

Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, speaks during an interview with Reuters in his office in the city of Ismailia, Egypt April 6, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, speaks during an interview with Reuters in his office in the city of Ismailia, Egypt April 6, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo

Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie said on Wednesday that the Red Sea crisis did not create a sustainable route to replace the canal.

He also said that there were positive indicators for the return of stability in the region.

Iran-backed Houthi militants have attacked vessels in the Red Sea area since November 2023, disrupting global shipping lanes by forcing vessels to avoid the nearby Suez Canal and reroute trade around Africa, raising the costs for insurers.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in December the disruption cost Egypt around $7 billion in revenue from the Suez Canal in 2024, Reuters reported.

That's a drop of more than 60% from its revenue a year before from the canal, Sisi said.