US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday there was “no plan B” to President Donald Trump's Gaza peace proposal.
During a visit to Israel, Mr Rubio said the US was committed to making the plan work, as there was no alternative.
“This is the best plan, it's the only plan, it's one that we think can succeed,” he said during a press conference.
Under the first phase of the Trump deal, a ceasefire came into effect in Gaza on October 10, halting Israel's two-year war in the strip and enabling the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel.
The second phase focuses on the disarmament of Hamas and the future governance of Gaza – sticking points that have caused previous truce talks to fall through.
The plan proposes the establishment of an international stabilisation force to help maintain the ceasefire. Negotiations are continuing among UN Security Council members and regional powers over the structure of the mission, which is expected to play a role in disarming Hamas.
Mr Rubio said the demilitarisation of Gaza is an important objective of the Trump deal, as it will help to ensure Israel's long-term security. Efforts are continuing to make sure that “commitments are met on both sides”, he told journalists.
The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 89 people have been killed and 317 injured since the ceasefire took effect.
“If Hamas refuses to disarm, it will be a violation of the agreement, and that will have to be enforced,” Mr Rubio said, without explaining how. “But that's not something we're going to start talking about. We fully expect Hamas to demilitarise as that is the agreement they signed on to, and we expect it to be fulfilled.”
The Secretary of State described the proposal as a long-term plan with “a lot of work to be done”.
While there is a consensus that Hamas cannot be involved in the governing of Gaza, Mr Rubio said “we're not at that stage yet”.
“Everyone talking about that is getting way ahead of themselves,” he said. “We're not even two weeks into this.”
“We're at the stage of just trying to maintain the ceasefire, to get humanitarian assistance to flow, to ensure there are no threats against Israel emanating from Gaza. That's what everyone is working on, even as we work on other elements of the plan,” he said.
Hamas and other Palestinian factions, including its rival Fatah, on Friday expressed support for the terms of the ceasefire, after two days of meetings in Cairo.
In a joint statement, the factions said they were in agreement that the administration of the enclave would be handed over to “a temporary Palestinian committee composed of independent technocrats from the Gaza Strip”.
They committed to work together to “unify visions and positions to confront the challenges facing the Palestinian cause”. The factions also called for an end to the torture and abuse of Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Mr Rubio is the fourth US official to visit Israel this week after a wave of intense Israeli air strikes on Gaza on Sunday, suggesting the deal is still at the forefront of the Trump administration’s priorities.
Vice President JD Vance, who arrived on Tuesday, said the US administration was committed to the “very difficult task” of disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza.
During the Vice President's trip, Israeli legislators issued a preliminary approval of two draft laws to annex the occupied West Bank, infuriating Washington. The annexation has been deemed a “red line” by Arab states that supported and signed Mr Trump's Gaza plan.
Asked about the vote, Mr Vance said: “If it was a political stunt, it is a very stupid one, and I personally take some insult to it.”
Mr Rubio said on Friday that the vote aimed to “embarrass the Israeli Prime Minister while the Vice President was there”. Mr Netanyahu has distanced himself from Wednesday's vote. An annexation of the West Bank is “not going to happen,” Mr Rubio added.
“It's a threat to the peace process, and if something like this were to happen now, a lot of countries involved [in the Trump deal] won't be any more,” he said.
Mr Trump on Thursday also brushed off concerns that Israel might attempt annexation. “Don’t worry about the West Bank,” he told reporters. “Israel is not going to do anything with the West Bank … Israel is doing very well, they’re not going to do anything with it.”
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Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
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More on Quran memorisation:
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Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars
The specs
Engine: 3.6 V6
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Power: 295bhp
Torque: 353Nm
Price: Dh155,000
On sale: now
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Eyasses squad
Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
