"The Gates of Hell Will Open," Israel's Marco Rubio: Hamas Must Be Destroyed

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that he fully supports Israel's aims in its war in the Gaza Strip, saying that Hamas "must be completely eradicated."

Hamas has been declared a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem at the start of his Middle East tour, where he is likely to face opposition from Arab leaders over President Donald Trump's plan to move the Palestinian population out of the Gaza Strip and rebuild the Palestinian enclave under American ownership.

Netanyahu welcomed the plan and said he and Trump have a "shared strategy" for the future of Gaza.

Echoing Trump's words, Netanyahu said that "the gates of Hell will open" if Hamas does not release dozens of hostages remaining in Gaza, who were kidnapped during the October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war.

The statements came just two weeks before the end of the first phase of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The second phase of the ceasefire, in which Hamas is to release dozens of remaining hostages in exchange for many Palestinian prisoners and Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza, has yet to be negotiated.

Rubio said Hamas "cannot continue as a military or governmental force."

"As long as [Hamas] continues as a force that can govern, as a force that can administer, or as a force that can threaten to use violence, peace is impossible," Rubio said.

"It [Hamas] must be exterminated," he added.

This could complicate efforts to continue talks with Hamas, which – despite the losses it has suffered – continues to control Gaza.

Netanyahu has expressed a willingness to restart the war after the current phase and has offered Hamas the opportunity to surrender and send its top leaders into exile. Hamas has rejected this.

Meanwhile, in a radio interview last week, Rubio said that Trump's proposal was partly intended to pressure Arab states to propose a plan that would be acceptable to Israel, under which Hamas could have no role in Gaza.

He also appeared to suggest that Arab states should send troops to fight against Hamas.

"If someone has a better plan, and we hope they do, if the Arab states have a better plan, then that's great," Rubio said Thursday.

But, "Hamas has weapons," he added. "Someone has to deal with them. It's not going to be American soldiers. And if the states in the region can't resolve this part, then Israel will have to, and then we'll be back where we were."

Rubio is not expected to meet with any Palestinians during his tour. For Arab leaders, facilitating the mass displacement of Palestinians or fighting Palestinian militants on behalf of Israel are both nightmare scenarios. Either would face fierce criticism at home and could destabilize an already volatile region.

Egypt says it will host an Arab summit on February 27 and is working with other states on a counterproposal that would allow the reconstruction of Gaza without the displacement of its population.

Human rights groups say the displacement of Palestinians would be contrary to international law./ REL