US Rubio visits Israel in aftermath of Qatar strike

The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has held talks in Israel with Benjamin Netanyahu aimed at limiting the diplomatic damage to both countries by Israel's attempt to assassinate Hamas leaders in Qatar, its continued demolition of Gaza, and the accelerated expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

- Julian Borger

The Israeli prime minister took Rubio to the Western Wall, where both men placed written prayers between the stones, before taking his American visitor underground to view archeological excavations.

"This alliance has never been stronger," Netanyahu told reporters. "It's as strong, as durable as the stones in the Western Wall that we just touched."

He paused in apparent expectation that the secretary of state would speak, but Rubio said nothing. Part of his mission on this two-day visit is to convey Donald Trump's irritation at last Tuesday's Israeli missile strike on Doha which was aimed at Hamas leadership but killed their aides and a Qatari security officer.