For US President Donald Trump, it is up to Israel to decide what to do next in Gaza — meaning Washington is offering quiet support for its ally’s plans to expand the offensive in the war-wracked Palestinian territory.
While numerous European and Arab capitals urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday to reconsider his decision to “take control” of Gaza City, Trump this week has effectively given Netanyahu — even if it means pushback from the international community. After about two years of devastating conflict, Israel’s security Cabinet approved Netanyahu’s plan to “defeat” Hamas, which triggered the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.
Before Israel’s announcement, when asked if he could support such a plan, Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that he was focused on securing an increase in the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza to help starving Palestinians.
Photo: EPA
“As far as the rest of it, I really, I really can’t say — that’s going to be pretty much up to Israel,” he said.
Then on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed that position, telling Catholic TV network EWTN: “Ultimately, what Israel needs to do for Israel’s security will be determined by Israel.”
Trump and Rubio’s comments speak volumes about the US strategy: Since Israel-Hamas talks on a ceasefire in Gaza fell apart, Washington has broadly embraced Israel’s views following US envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit last week.
Details of Witkoff’s meeting with Netanyahu have not been made public, but it is hard to imagine that Trump’s emissary was not briefed on Israel’s plans.
While Washington has amped up the pressure on Israel to allow more aid into the Gaza Strip, it has also insisted that all Israeli hostages — dead or alive — be freed from Hamas captivity and the complete annihilation of the militant group.
“Our goals are very clear,” US Vice President J.D. Vance said on Friday during talks with British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy.
“We want to make it so that Hamas cannot attack innocent Israeli civilians ever again, and we think that has to come through the eradication of Hamas,” Vance said.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has offered Israel ironclad support, even while pushing for better humanitarian support.
He seemed to throw in the towel on securing a ceasefire following repeated failed efforts at mediation, especially after talks crumbled late last month in Doha when Hamas refused a deal to free the hostages.
Hamas still has 49 Israeli hostages abducted during the October 2023 attack, 27 of whom are presumed dead.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee — who is prone to making eyebrow-raising statements — slammed all criticism of Israel’s plans for Gaza.
“So Israel is expected to surrender to Hamas & feed them even though Israeli hostages are being starved?” Huckabee wrote on social media.
“Did UK surrender to Nazis and drop food to them?” he said in response to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called Netanyahu’s approach “wrong.”
In his interview with EWTN, Rubio said that “as long as Hamas exists, particularly exists as an armed organization, there will never be peace in Gaza.”
Rubio said he understood why the famine facing Palestinians in the territory was getting “almost all the media coverage,” but lamented what he called a lack of attention to the plight of the remaining Israeli hostages.
Over the past few weeks, Washington has sharply criticized international initiatives to formally recognize a Palestinian state, led notably by French President Emmanuel Macron, warning that it emboldens Hamas not to give up.
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