Israel steps up bombings as Rubio arrives

Israeli forces destroyed at least 30 residential buildings in Gaza City and forced thousands of people from their homes, Palestinian officials said, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived on Sunday to discuss the future of the conflict.

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Israel has said it plans to seize the city, where about a million Palestinians have been sheltering, as part of its declared aim of eliminating the militant group Hamas, and has intensified attacks on what it has called the last bastion of the militant Palestinian group.

Hamas’ political leadership, which has engaged in on-and-off negotiations on a possible ceasefire and hostage release deal, was targeted by Israel in an airstrike in Doha on Sept 9 in an attack that drew widespread condemnation.

Qatar was to host an emergency Arab summit yesterday to discuss the next moves. Mr Rubio said Washington wanted to talk about how to free the 48 hostages still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and rebuild the coastal strip. Only 20 are believed to be alive.

“What's happened has happened) he said. “We're gonna meet with them [the Israeli leadership]. We're gonna talk about what the future holds,’ Mr Rubio said before heading to Israel where he will stay until today.

Once there, Mr Rubio visited the Western Wall Jewish prayer site in Jerusalem. He was expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Western Wall visit was “reaffirming America’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's eternal capital’; according to a statement from the State Department.

In late 2017, during his first term as president, Donald Trump formally recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and subsequently moved the US embassy there from Tel Aviv.