U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in occupied Palestine late Saturday, marking the first stop in a Middle East tour aimed at advancing Washington’s pro-Israel agenda.

Rubio landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, where he is scheduled to meet Israeli officials to discuss President Donald Trump’s highly controversial proposal to forcibly control and reshape the Gaza Strip.

For over 15 months, Israel has waged a brutal military assault on Gaza, leaving the besieged enclave in ruins with tens of thousands killed and millions displaced. Rather than pushing for an end to the slaughter, the United States is now actively working with the Israeli regime to expand its occupation and dictate Gaza’s future, all while ignoring the voices of the Palestinian people.

At the heart of Trump’s plan is the systematic ethnic cleansing of Gaza’s indigenous population, with the U.S. advocating for the forced displacement of Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan. The proposal has faced overwhelming international condemnation, with Arab states rejecting it outright. Despite this, Rubio is pressing forward, underscoring Washington’s relentless support for Israel’s war machine.

In remarks before his visit, Rubio brazenly dismissed the concerns of regional leaders, suggesting that Arab states have done “nothing” for Gaza. His comments ignore decades of Israeli-imposed suffering, from the illegal blockade and repeated bombings to the ongoing occupation that deprives Palestinians of their basic rights.

“Right now, the only plan – they don’t like it – but the only plan is the Trump plan,” Rubio stated on a right-wing radio show. His remarks signal that Washington is not interested in diplomacy or Palestinian sovereignty, but rather in imposing Israel’s settler-colonial vision for Gaza.

A key U.S. demand is that any future arrangement for Gaza excludes Hamas, the democratically elected movement that has led Palestinian resistance against occupation. Rubio made it clear that if Arab states fail to impose a leadership that aligns with Washington and Tel Aviv’s interests, then Israel will continue its military onslaught to force compliance.

“If Arab states can’t do it, then Israel is going to have to do it, and then we’re back to where we’ve been, so that doesn’t solve the problem,” Rubio said—effectively endorsing further Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

While Washington claims to seek stability, its unconditional military, financial, and political support for Israeli aggression tells a different story. The U.S. has repeatedly vetoed ceasefire efforts at the United Nations, provided billions in military aid to Israel, and blocked international war crimes investigations into Israeli atrocities. Now, Rubio’s tour signals a new phase of complicity, as the U.S. seeks to formalize Gaza’s subjugation under Israeli control.

Palestinian leaders and civil society groups have made it clear that any decision on Gaza’s future must be made by Palestinians, not foreign occupiers or their allies. While Washington and Tel Aviv push their colonial designs, the Palestinian people continue to resist, demanding freedom, sovereignty, and an end to Israel’s brutal occupation.

As Rubio continues his tour—with stops in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other Israeli-occupied territories—the world watches to see whether Arab leaders will resist U.S. coercion or fall in line with Washington’s betrayal of Palestinian rights. (ILKHA)