What Has Marco Rubio Said About the Israel-Hamas Conflict?

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to select Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as his secretary of state, Reuters has reported.

Rubio – a staunch ally of Trump – serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is the leading Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee. The secretary of state is the U.S. government’s chief diplomat, responsible for managing international relations, implementing foreign policy, and overseeing the Department of State.

The person stepping into the role after Antony Blinken will have a full in-tray to deal with, including managing relations with China and Russia, and handling conflict and tensions in the Middle East.

Rubio has been outspoken about the Israel-Hamas conflict, and his support of Israel, following the October 7, 2023 attack, when Hamas launched a widescale assault on Israel, in which around 1,200 people were killed and some 251 were taken hostage in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, from where Hamas primarily operates.

Israel retaliated and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to eradicate Hamas. Since then, over 42,792 people have been killed in Gaza, 16,765 of whom were children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Newsweek looks at what the man likely to be taking the lead on stabilizing the region has said about the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“Complete Eradication of Hamas In Gaza”

In October 2023, Rubio said on X, formerly Twitter, that Israel has “no choice but to seek the complete eradication of Hamas in Gaza.”

He said that “this tragically necessary effort will come at a horrifying price” and added that, “The price of failing to permanently eliminate this group of sadistic savages is even more horrifying.”

Threat of “Full-Scale War” Between Hezbollah and Israel

Rubio warned that there is a threat of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Back in May, the senator warned, “The imperative that Israel has at some point to address it, even though there’s a real threat there of a full-scale war with Hezbollah, which militarily is a lot more challenging and destructive.”

“I think we should expect and understand what Israel has to do as well,” he continued.

He said that he does not think that either Israel of Hezbollah want a war but that “they may still get one, unfortunately, because of the position they find themselves in,” according to a report at the time from Jewish Insider.

Give Israel “The Military Materials They Need”

In October 2023 Rubio wrote on X that, “Hamas is a terrorist organization created for the express & explicit purpose of driving every Jew out of the region & replacing Israel with a fundamentalist Islamic Palestinian state stretching from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Israel has no choice but the eliminate Hamas.”

“Israel has no choice but to eliminate Hamas. And America’s role is to resupply Israel with the military materials they need to finish this job,” Rubio said, advocating for continued U.S. support to Israel.

Newsweek has reached out to office of Israel’s Prime Minister via an online form for comment.

“Islamic Republic” Is Source of Violence in Middle East

Rubio has attributed the source of “violence, conflict, suffering and instability in the Middle East” to a criminal “Islamic Republic” regime, which Rubio said had “oppressed the people of Iran for almost 25 years.”

The Islamic Republic of Iran is a theocratic state where political power is guided by Islamic principles and overseen by religious leaders, with a Supreme Leader as the highest authority, balancing both religious and republican elements in governance.

Newsweek has reached out to the Iranian government via email for comment.

Opposes an Israel-Hamas Ceasefire

Rubio has consistently opposed a ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. In October 2023, he stated, “A “cease fire” right now would prolong the war. Hamas would use it to steal humanitarian aid, move their fighters to better fighting positions, move hostages to new hiding places and arm their rocket launchers for attacks inside Israel.”

In a post in April, Rubio said, “The next time you hear the “ceasefire” crowd described as “peace activists” remember how many of them cheered the launch of hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel. They don’t want a ceasefire, they want Israel destroyed.”

Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs via email for comment.

Newsweek has reached out to Rubio’s office outside of normal working hours via email for comment.

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