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Rubio: ‘Israel cannot allow Hamas to reconstitute itself during ceasefire’

US Secretary of State warns that Israel must prevent Hamas from strengthening during the truce, as Washington considers alternative proposals for Gaza

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that Israel cannot allow Hamas to use the current ceasefire to reconstitute itself. According to Rubio, Hamas continues to smuggle weapons and aid in order to strengthen itself, and such behaviour is unacceptable to Israel. ‘This is not a stupid ceasefire,’ Rubio stressed in an interview with NewsNation.

In recent days, Hamas has threatened not to release the next three hostages scheduled for release next Saturday, 15 February, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire by restricting the flow of aid. This claim was rejected by Jerusalem. Rubio commented: ‘You cannot believe anything Hamas says’.

In an interview with Fox News, Rubio claimed that Hamas is violating the agreement, without giving further details. He also added that President Donald Trump has now lost patience and is demanding that all hostages be freed.

Rubio made it clear that if Hamas does not fulfil the agreement by Saturday, it will be back to the pre-cessation of fire situation, with Israel ready to intervene to totally eliminate Hamas. However, it is unclear how long this will take, as Hamas has repeatedly succeeded in closing the gaps created by IDF operations.

Washington, however, says it is ready to listen to alternative plans from Arab countries, which oppose Trump’s proposal to take control of Gaza. Rubio reiterated that Trump’s plan is the only one currently on the table, but is open to considering any better solutions proposed by Arab allies.

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