From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
Rubio says Netanyahu’s goal to seize 70% of Gaza contradicts Trump’s plan for Strip
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During a Capitol Hill hearing, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is pressed by Rep. Rose DeLauro, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, on where the US stands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s goal of seizing 70% of Gaza to defeat the Hamas terror group.
Rubio says Netanyahu’s statement was not part of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The plan would end Hamas’s rule and rebuild the territory.
“We have a plan — it doesn’t call for that,” Rubio says. “And at the end of the day, we understand that what we want, and I think what the Israelis would ultimately want, is a Gaza that is governed by a non-Hamas” entity.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.