US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says there’s “some concern” about events in the West Bank undermining efforts to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza, in his first remarks on the latest spate of settler violence.
“Certainly there’s some concern about events in the West Bank spilling over and creating an effect that could undermine what we’re doing in Gaza,” Rubio tells reporters before clarifying that he hopes that the hopes the violence doesn’t undermine the ceasefire and does not expect it too either.
Rubio then goes on to tout the condemnations that were issued by President Isaac Herzog and senior commanders in the IDF against the settler attacks.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the rest of his coalition have been mum on the phenomenon, as critics accuse the government of tacitly backing the attacks, which have been taking place on a near-daily basis.
Rubio’s comments mark a rare instance of US President Donald Trump’s administration weighing in on the issue of settler violence.
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order ending the sanctions regime established a year earlier by then-president Joe Biden against extremist settler individuals and entities.
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