Rubio says Hamas must be 'eliminated' and Iran is a 'risk to the world'

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for Hamas to be "eliminated" and said the U.S. maintains "maximum pressure" on Iran during a joint press conference on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following a high-profile three-hour meeting in the aftermath of Israel's bombing of U.S. ally Qatar.

"A nuclear Iran governed by a radical Shiite cleric that possesses not just nuclear weapons potentially but the missiles that could deliver those weapons far away is an unacceptable risk, not just for Israel, not just for the United States, but for the world," Rubio said. "That's why the president continues with a campaign of maximum pressure."

Rubio believes Hamas, who he said must be "eliminated," was emboldened by moves by Britain, France and other U.S. allies to recognize a Palestinian state.

"They're largely symbolic, they have really no impact whatsoever about bringing us any closer to a Palestinian state," Rubio insisted. "The only impact they actually have is it makes Hamas feel more emboldened."

Israel's standing in the international community is sinking lower and lower as its deadly onslaught against Gaza continues unabated and its attacks on seven of the region's country's since Oct. 7, 2023, cross red line after red line.

Rubio said the U.S. would work to support Qatar's mediation capability, after Israel bombed Hamas' negotiators in the Gulf capital last Tuesday. "We're going to continue to encourage Qatar to play a constructive role in that regard," Rubio said.

Netanyahu, for his part, claimed he's facing threats against himself, in response to a question regarding the assassination of American conservative pundit Charlie Kirk. Netanyahu called his opponents a “threat to democracy.”

A closer look

The behind the scenes of the Israeli strikes in Doha

Rubio set to head to Qatar after Israel trip

After two days in Israel, Rubio is scheduled to visit Qatar on Tuesday, two government officials in the Middle East told The Washington Post, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the plans with the media.

Rubio landed in Tel Aviv on Sunday in a trip that coincides with Monday's emergency summit conference of Arab and Muslim states convened by Qatar aimed at establishing a collective response to Israel's widely condemned bombing of Doha. Thomas Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, is also in Qatar.

Reports vary as to how much the U.S. knew about the Israeli attack on Doha. Outlets including Politico and Axios cited several U.S. officials saying that Trump and his senior aides were caught off guard by the attack and that frustration toward Netanyahu is mounting at the White House.