Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Saturday that Israel, the United States, and other mediators of the Gaza ceasefire agreement are working closely together, sharing information to prevent any potential threats—a cooperation that, according to him, helped identify a possible attack last week.
The State Department had reported a week earlier that there were “credible reports” that Hamas might violate the ceasefire with an attack on Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
“We issued a notice through the State Department and also sent it to our mediators, regarding an imminent attack that did not occur,” Rubio told reporters during his travel from Israel to Qatar, where he met with President Donald Trump for a joint tour in Asia. “This is the purpose: to identify a threat before it happens.”
Rubio added that several countries are interested in joining the international stabilization force expected to be deployed in Gaza but are seeking more details about the mission and the rules of engagement, AP reports.
According to him, the US may seek a UN resolution supporting the creation of this force so that more countries can participate. He said Washington has held discussions with Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, while also noting interest from Indonesia and Azerbaijan.
“Many of the countries that want to participate cannot do so without an international mandate,” Rubio added.
He also announced that next week, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine is expected to visit Israel, joining a series of recent visits by US officials.
Earlier this week, Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and President Trump’s advisor Jared Kushner visited Israel to reinforce the fragile ceasefire agreement. Rubio arrived shortly after Vance left, where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visited a US-run coordination center monitoring adherence to the ceasefire.
