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Rubio in Israel Says Hamas Must Be Eradicated, Casting Further Doubt on Gaza’s Shaky Ceasefire

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu make a joint statement to the media at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on February 16, 2025. (AFP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu make a joint statement to the media at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on February 16, 2025. (AFP)
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Rubio in Israel Says Hamas Must Be Eradicated, Casting Further Doubt on Gaza’s Shaky Ceasefire

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu make a joint statement to the media at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on February 16, 2025. (AFP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu make a joint statement to the media at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem on February 16, 2025. (AFP)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday fully endorsed Israel's war aims in the Gaza Strip, saying Hamas "must be eradicated" and throwing the shaky ceasefire into further doubt.

Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem at the start of a regional tour, where he is likely to face pushback from Arab leaders over President Donald Trump's proposal to transfer the Palestinian population out of Gaza and redevelop it under US ownership.

Netanyahu has welcomed the plan, and said he and Trump have a "common strategy" for Gaza's future. Echoing Trump, he said "the gates of hell would be open" if Hamas does not release dozens of remaining hostages abducted in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the 16-month war.

Their remarks came two weeks before the ceasefire's first phase is set to end. The second phase, in which Hamas is to release dozens of remaining hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, has yet to be negotiated.

Rubio said Hamas cannot continue as a military or government force. "As long as it stands as a force that can govern or as a force that can administer or as a force that can threaten by use of violence, peace becomes impossible," he said. "It must be eradicated."

Such language could complicate continued talks with Hamas, which remains in control of Gaza despite suffering heavy losses in the war.

The Israeli military meanwhile said it carried out an airstrike Sunday on people who approached its forces in southern Gaza. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry said the strike killed three of its policemen while they were securing the entry of aid trucks near Rafah, on the Egyptian border.

Hamas called the attack a "serious violation" of the ceasefire and accused Netanyahu of trying to sabotage the deal.

Readiness to resume war

Resuming the war could be a death sentence for the remaining hostages and may not succeed in eliminating Hamas, which reasserted control over Gaza when the ceasefire took hold last month.

Netanyahu has signaled readiness to resume the war after the current phase and has offered Hamas a chance to surrender and send its top leaders into exile.

Hamas has rejected such a scenario, and spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou told The Associated Press the group accepts either a Palestinian unity government or a technocratic committee to run Gaza. The group insists on Palestinian rule.

Hamas last week threatened to hold up the latest release of hostages because Netanyahu has yet to approve the entry of mobile homes and heavy machinery into Gaza as required by the ceasefire agreement, before proceeding with the release Saturday based on what it called assurances from Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt.

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said the issue would be discussed in the coming days and that Israel was coordinating with the United States.

In another sign of the allies closing ranks, Israel's Defense Ministry said it received a shipment of 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) MK-84 munitions from the United States. The Biden administration had paused a shipment of such bombs last year over concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza.

Rubio was not scheduled to meet with Palestinians on his Mideast trip.

Egypt will host an Arab summit on Feb. 27 and is working with other countries on a counterproposal that would allow for Gaza to be rebuilt without removing its population. Human rights groups say the expulsion of Palestinians would likely violate international law.

Egypt has warned that any mass influx of Palestinians from Gaza would undermine its nearly half-century peace treaty with Israel, a cornerstone of US influence in the region.

"The continuation of the conflict and broadening its scope will harm all parties without exception," Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Sunday, according to a statement from his office.

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 Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war.

Israel has ruled out a Palestinian state and any role in Gaza for the Palestinian Authority, whose forces were driven out when Hamas seized power there in 2007.

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Arab World

Aoun Stresses Keenness on Keeping Lebanon out of 'Suicidal Adventures'

17 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference at Baabda Palace. (dpa)
17 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference at Baabda Palace. (dpa)
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Aoun Stresses Keenness on Keeping Lebanon out of 'Suicidal Adventures'

17 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference at Baabda Palace. (dpa)
17 January 2025, Lebanon, Baabda: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during a press conference at Baabda Palace. (dpa)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed on Tuesday that his country has "cleaned vast areas south of the Litani River of illegal weapons".

Speaking to the diplomatic corps, he added that the plan to impose to state monopoly over arms and control over all of Lebanese territories "has been unprecedented in 40 years".

Lebanon is keen on preventing itself from being dragged into "suicidal adventures, whose price we paid dearly for in the past," he declared.

Without referring to Hezbollah, Aoun described as an "adventure" the Iran-backed party's decision to launch the "support war" against Israel in October 2023 in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza.

Aoun did not touch on Hezbollah's refusal to lay down its weapons in areas north of the Litani, which is the second phase of the state's plan to impose state monopoly over arms.

Aoun made his remarks days after Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem declared that the party would not lay down its weapons, deepening the rift between the president and the party.

Informed sources had previously told Asharq Al-Awsat that relations between the two sides had cooled in recent weeks with contacts between them at the "bare minimum".

Continuing his address to the diplomatic corps, Aoun said that since he was elected to office a year ago, Lebanon has not made a single violation of the ceasefire with Israel, save for two "individual incidents".

The authorities have since arrested the perpetrators, he added. In the meantime, the army is the sole party in control of the South.

He stressed that the army succeeded in imposing its control over the South "despite all provocations, ongoing Israeli attacks, criticism and accusations of treason."

The ceasefire, he noted, was agreed in November 2024, before he assumed office. "It is an international agreement that we respect" and that will prevent Lebanon from being dragged into "suicidal adventures," he went on to say.

Aoun hoped that during his second year in office, all Lebanese territories would come under the authority of the state alone and that all Lebanese prisoners held by Israel would be released. He hoped that reconstruction of areas destroyed by Israel in the war would kick off.

He also hoped that the entire country would come under the control of the armed forces alone, "so that Lebanon would not be dragged into the conflicts of others."

Arab World

Syrian Military, SDF Announce New Truce After Guards Leave Camp Housing ISIS Families

Members of the Syrian army ride a vehicle en route to al-Hassakeh, following the withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Syria, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)
Members of the Syrian army ride a vehicle en route to al-Hassakeh, following the withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Syria, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)
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Syrian Military, SDF Announce New Truce After Guards Leave Camp Housing ISIS Families

Members of the Syrian army ride a vehicle en route to al-Hassakeh, following the withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Syria, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)
Members of the Syrian army ride a vehicle en route to al-Hassakeh, following the withdrawal of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Syria, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)

Guards from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) abandoned a camp Tuesday in northeast Syria housing thousands of people linked to the ISIS group, and the Syrian military said that allowed detainees to escape.

Hours later, the Syrian government and the SDF announced a new four-day truce after a previous ceasefire broke down. The two sides have been clashing for two weeks, amid a breakdown in negotiations over a deal to merge their forces together.

The al-Hol camp houses mainly women and children who are relatives of ISIS members. Thousands of accused ISIS militants are separately housed in prisons in northeast Syria.

Syria's interior ministry accused the SDF of allowing the release of “a number of detainees from the ISIS militant (group) along with their families.” The AP could not independently confirm if detainees had escaped from the camps or how many.

The SDF subsequently confirmed that its guards had withdrawn from the camp, but did not say whether any detainees escaped. The group blamed “international indifference toward the issue of the (ISIS) terrorist organization and the failure of the international community to assume its responsibilities in addressing this serious matter."

It said its forces had redeployed in other areas "that are facing increasing risks and threats” from government forces.

An official with the US military’s Central Command who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly said, “We are aware of the reports and are closely monitoring the situation.”

The SDF and the government also traded blame over the escape Monday of ISIS members from a prison in the northeastern town of Shaddadi.

The Syrian defense ministry in a statement said it is prepared to take over al-Hol camp and the prisons and accused the SDF of using them as “bargaining chips.”

At its peak in 2019, some 73,000 people were living at al-Hol camp. Since then the number has declined with some countries repatriating their citizens.

Sheikhmous Ahmad, a Kurdish official overseeing camps for displaced in northeastern Syria, told The Associated Press that the al-Hol's current population is about 24,000, about 14,500 of whom are Syrians and nearly 3,000 Iraqis.

He added that about 6,500 from other nationalities are held in a highly secured section of the camp, many of whom are die-hard ISIS supporters who came from around the world to join the extremist group.

Government and SDF trade blame over prison break

Earlier Tuesday, Syria's interior ministry said that 120 ISIS members had escaped Monday from the prison in Shaddadi, amid clashes between government forces and the SDF. Security forces recaptured 81 of them, the statement said.

Also Tuesday, the SDF accused “Damascus-affiliated factions” of cutting off water supplies to the al-Aqtan prison near the city of Raqqa, which it called a “blatant violation of humanitarian standards.”

The SDF, the main US-backed force that fought ISIS in Syria, controls more than a dozen prisons in the northeast where some 9,000 ISIS members have been held for years without trial.

ISIS was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria two years later, but the group’s sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks in both countries.

Under a deal announced Sunday, government forces were to take over control of the prisons from the SDF, but the transfer did not go smoothly.

New ceasefire deal announced

The Syrian military announced Tuesday evening a new four-day ceasefire. The SDF confirmed the deal and said “it will not initiate any military action unless our forces are subjected to attacks.”

Elham Ahmad, a senior official with the Kurdish-led local administration in northeast Syria, told journalists Tuesday that an earlier ceasefire had fallen apart after SDF leader Mazloum Abdi requested a five-day grace period to implement the conditions and Syrian Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa refused.

She blamed the government for violating the agreement but called for a return to dialogue.

In response to a journalist's question regarding whether the SDF had requested help from Israel - which previously intervened in clashes between government forces and groups from the Druze religious minority last year - Ahmad said “certain figures” from Israel had communicated with the SDF. She added that the SDF is ready to accept support from any source available.

A statement from al-Sharaa’s office said government forces will not enter Kurdish-majority areas until plans are agreed upon for their “peaceful integration” and that Kurdish villages will be patrolled by “local security forces drawn from the residents of the area.”

It said Abdi will put forward nominees from the SDF for the posts of deputy defense minister, governor of al-Hassakeh province, representatives in the parliament, and for other positions in Syrian state institutions.

SDF disappointment

SDF officials have expressed disappointment that the US did not intervene on their behalf. The group was long the main US partner in Syria in the fight against ISIS, but that has changed as the Trump administration has developed closer ties with al-Sharaa's government.

US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack in a statement Tuesday urged the SDF to move forward with integration into the new Syrian government and army and appeared to warn the Kurdish-led force that no help would be coming from Washington if it continued fighting.

He said SDF's role as the primary anti-ISIS force "has largely expired, as Damascus is now both willing and positioned to take over security responsibilities” and that “recent developments show the US actively facilitating this transition, rather than prolonging a separate SDF role."

Since toppling Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Syria’s new leaders have struggled to assert full authority over the war-torn country. An agreement was reached in March that would merge the SDF with Damascus, but it didn’t gain traction.

Earlier this month, clashes broke out in the city of Aleppo, followed by the government offensive that seized control of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa provinces, critical areas under the SDF that include oil and gas fields, river dams along the Euphrates and border crossings.

Al-Sharaa postponed a planned trip to Germany Tuesday amid the ongoing tensions.

Arab World

Gaza Committee Faces Israeli Hurdles as it Seeks Pressure from Mediators

Destroyed buildings in Gaza, as seen from Israel, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)
Destroyed buildings in Gaza, as seen from Israel, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)
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Gaza Committee Faces Israeli Hurdles as it Seeks Pressure from Mediators

Destroyed buildings in Gaza, as seen from Israel, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)
Destroyed buildings in Gaza, as seen from Israel, January 20, 2026. (Reuters)

The committee tasked with administering the Gaza Strip has begun work in Cairo, but its planned entry into the enclave has been blocked by Israel, a move mediators are seeking to head off as part of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement that began in mid-January and has drawn objections from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The ban followed Israel's objection to the White House announcement of leaders who will play a role in overseeing the next steps in Gaza.

Experts speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat said these objections represent major obstacles that complicate the second phase, which includes an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the launch of reconstruction, the deployment of stabilization forces, and the disarmament of Hamas.

They warned the obstacles could delay or derail implementation, stressing that pressure from the international community and mediators could push Washington to neutralize any Israeli hurdles.

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper quoted sources on Tuesday as saying Netanyahu’s government is refusing to allow members of the Palestinian “technocrats committee” to enter Gaza.

It said the committee members had been scheduled to enter the enclave this week via the Rafah crossing to assume civil administration duties by the end of the week.

The report said the committee’s members continue to hold meetings in Cairo, while mediators, particularly Egypt, are working with the United States to secure approval for the committee’s entry into Gaza by the end of the month.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said at a press conference in Doha on Tuesday that the international community must pressure Israel to allow the technocrats committee to enter Gaza.

Hamas said in a statement on Tuesday that government bodies in Gaza have begun taking steps to facilitate the work of the national committee and hand over authority.

It stressed it has placed no preconditions on forming the committee or starting its work, but expects “independent professional and technical performance.”

Ahmed Fouad Anwar, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and an academic specializing in Israeli affairs, said the Israeli ban is part of a pattern of obstacles Israel has attempted to impose at every stage of the Gaza agreement, as it did during the first phase.

He said he expects US pressure to prevent the continued ban on committee members.

Palestinian political analyst Nizar Nazzal said Israel wants an administrative committee stripped of authority and willpower, adding that the ban is calculated and deliberate.

He nevertheless expects the committee to eventually enter Gaza to begin work, saying Israeli leaks appear to be a media bubble aimed mainly at domestic audiences.

Reuters reported that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged Netanyahu on Monday to shut down the US-led multinational coordination center supporting President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, calling for Hamas to be given a final ultimatum to disarm or face the destruction of the enclave.

The White House announced on Friday the formation of an 11-member Gaza Executive Board, including Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Sigrid Kaag, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al-Hashimy, and Israeli-Cypriot billionaire Yakir Gabay.

A day after Trump announced the executive bodies, Netanyahu’s office said the move was made without coordination with Israel and runs counter to its policy, adding that Foreign Minister Gideon Saar would raise the issue with his US counterpart Marco Rubio.

Anwar said Israeli objections began even before the second phase of the Gaza plan, with Netanyahu’s government demanding the return of the last remains of Israeli hostages and the disarmament of Hamas.

He said the phase began nonetheless without Washington responding to those demands, predicting that Israel would try to obstruct the second phase, while the US continues to ignore them.