Rubio holds new phone conversation with Netanyahu about Gaza

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held another telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip, the State Department said in a statement, as Israel intensifies its offensive in the area.

"They discussed the situation in Gaza and their joint efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages" held by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas , State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.

Rubio made the call from Rome, where he will attend the inaugural Mass of Leo XIV, the first American pope, on Sunday.

In an interview with CBS, to be broadcast that same day, the Secretary of State reiterates his call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip .

"We support an end to the conflict, a ceasefire. We don't want people to suffer as they have, and we blame Hamas for it, but the fact is they are suffering," he declared.

"In the absence of an agreement, we expect Israel to continue its operations ," he said, without commenting directly on the new Israeli offensive.

On Friday in Abu Dhabi, US President Donald Trump said that Washington "will make sure this gets resolved."

"Many people are starving to death. That's why we are actively involved in finding a way to free more hostages through a mechanism similar to a ceasefire," Rubio said.

Hamas said a new round of indirect negotiations with Israel to end the war had begun in Doha "without preconditions."

"We will do nothing that could harm Israel or its security, but if it's possible to find a solution that allows for the release of more hostages (...) and ends this war in a way that puts the people of Gaza on the path to peace and prosperity and frees them from Hamas, we will explore that possibility," Rubio said.

"We believe we've made progress , but there's still work to be done. I hope to have good news soon on this, but I think some hurdles remain."

He added that "if Hamas were to surrender, hand over its weapons, demilitarize, and release all hostages, including those who died, the conflict would end."

"There can be no peace or prosperity in Gaza as long as Hamas rules it by force of arms," ​​the US Foreign Minister concluded.