Marco Rubio Urges Egypt to Prevent Hamas Governance in Gaza

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized to Egypt's foreign minister that Hamas must never govern Gaza again. This came after President Trump suggested that Egypt and Jordan should take in more Palestinians. Jordan and Egypt opposed the proposal, while tensions remain high following recent Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed to Egypt's foreign minister the necessity of preventing Hamas from regaining control over Gaza, as per a statement from the State Department. This call followed President Donald Trump's comments proposing Egypt and Jordan accommodate more Palestinians.

President Trump, on Saturday, suggested a strategy to 'clean out' Gaza—the site of a devastating conflict with Israel, resulting in heavy casualties and a mounting humanitarian crisis. His proposal, reminiscent of Palestinian fears of permanent displacement, was conspicuously absent from the U.S. State Department's statement post the discussion between Rubio and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.

In response to Trump's remarks, both Jordan and Egypt resisted the notion of accepting a larger Palestinian population. When queried about the permanence of such a measure, Trump ambiguously stated: 'Could be either.' The ongoing conflict was initially sparked by hostile attacks from Palestinian Hamas militants on Israel on October 7, 2023, causing extensive loss of life on both sides. While the fighting has halted under a delicate ceasefire, the region remains on edge.

(With inputs from agencies.)