PM says he discussed Trump’s Gaza plan with Rubio, and how to work ‘to ensure that future becomes reality’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a statement alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the two discussed US President Donald Trump’s “bold vision for Gaza, for Gaza’s future, and how we can work together to ensure that future becomes a reality.”

He says the two also discussed the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, which Netanyahu says Israel is largely responsible for with its weakening of Hezbollah.

“If any other force in Syria today believes that Israel will permit other hostile forces to use Syria as a base” for attacks on Israel, says Netanyahu, “they are gravely mistaken.”

“Israel will act to prevent any threat from emerging in southwest Syria,” he pledges.

They also discussed Lebanon, Netanyahu says. “Israel is committed to the ceasefire and the understandings we reached in November, and expects the government of Lebanon to be equally committed.”

“Hezbollah must be disarmed,” he says, “and Israel would prefer the Lebanese army does that job,” but Israel will do what it must.

He condemns attacks on UNIFIL forces in Beirut.

Netanyahu says he and Rubio also discussed hostile international institutions, including the UN General Assembly, UN Human Rights Council, and the ICJ and ICC in The Hague. He says they discussed coordinating efforts to counter lawfare against the US and Israel, to neutralize this threat “once and for all.”