Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press that while negotiations between Israel and Hamas are progressing, the discussions do not yet signal the official conclusion of the war. He added that creating a new governing structure for Gaza will require patience, though he stressed that a framework for doing so already exists.
His comments came as both sides move closer to adopting President Donald Trump’s comprehensive 20-point peace initiative aimed at ending the conflict and establishing long-term stability in Gaza.
When asked by moderator Kristen Welker whether the talks mean the war is effectively over, Rubio replied, “not yet.”
“There’s some work that remains to be done,” he said, referring to the detailed meetings now underway to finalize the logistics of the peace arrangement.
“Everyone has agreed, including Israel, that eventually, at some point here as this process plays out, Gaza will be governed by a Palestinian technocratic group that’s not Hamas, that are not terrorists, with the help and the assistance and the guidance of an international consortium like the board of peace,” Rubio explained, reiterating one of the core elements of Trump’s plan.
At the same time, he cautioned against unrealistic expectations. “You can’t set up a governance structure in Gaza that’s not Hamas in three days,” Rubio said.
“I mean, it takes some time,” he added.
According to the peace plan, Gaza would “be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee.” It further specifies that Hamas, which currently holds control over the territory, would have no governing role moving forward.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu has publicly endorsed Trump’s proposal, which also calls for Hamas to release all Israeli hostages, a point he reiterated during his meeting at the White House last week.
Hamas has indicated its readiness to release all hostages, both living and deceased, and plans to dispatch a delegation to Cairo on Sunday for additional talks scheduled to begin Monday. Representing the United States at those discussions will be Trump administration special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The next phase of negotiations will focus on two main issues — the mechanics of freeing the hostages and the establishment of a new Palestinian governing body.
“How do you create this Palestinian technocratic leadership that’s not Hamas, that’s not terrorists, and with the help of the international community?” Rubio asked. “How do you disarm any sort of terrorist groups that are going to be building tunnels and conducting attacks against Israel?”
He noted that significant logistical challenges still remain in coordinating the release of captives.
“You have to make sure the Red Cross can get there, what time they’re going to be there, where they’re going to be,” Rubio said. “All that has to be worked through.”
{Matzav.com}
