Rubio offers Netanyahu full US support for plans to 'eliminate' Hamas

The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has put the Trump administration's full support behind Benjamin Netanyahu in a visit to Jerusalem, saying Washington's priorities were the liberation of Israeli hostages and the destruction of Hamas.

- Julian Borger

In public remarks standing alongside Netanyahu, Rubio did not mention the possibility of a ceasefire, and did not repeat his earlier criticism of Israel for carrying out an airstrike last week aimed at Hamas leaders in Doha, the capital of another close US ally, Qatar.

Rubio did not address possible ceasefire terms in Jerusalem, other than to say the US would "continue to explore and be dedicated to" a peaceful outcome that he said depended on the elimination of Hamas.

"At the end of the day, no matter what has happened or happens, the objective remains the same, and that is all 48 of those hostages, both living and deceased, need to be home. They need to be returned," he said.

"Hamas needs to cease to exist as an armed element that can threaten the peace and security of the region. And the people of Gaza deserve a better future. But that better future cannot begin until Hamas is eliminated."

Rubio said the intended recognition of Palestine by several US allies, including the UK, France, Canada, Belgium and Australia, would make peace less likely.

"It actually makes it harder to negotiate ... because it emboldens these groups," he said, referring to Hamas and other Palestinian militants.

He added that the Trump administration had warned states preparing to recognise Palestine "there will be an Israeli counter-reaction to those moves" - in what may have been a reference to a possible Israeli move to annex occupied areas of the West Bank.