Israeli and U.S. officials met Wednesday in Washington to discuss post-war Gaza, even as Israel's military called the evacuation of Gaza City “inevitable” ahead of a new offensive and no sign of a ceasefire in sight.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar at the State Department, with both countries saying they discussed cooperation on Iran, ending the war in Gaza, the situations in Lebanon and Syria, and next month’s session of the U.N. General Assembly, at which the Israel-Hamas conflict is likely to be a hot topic.
The State Department said Rubio reaffirmed America's “unwavering commitment to Israel’s security.”
“The secretary and Foreign Minister Saar agreed that continued close cooperation between their countries is vital to the security and prosperity of the region,” the department said in statement.
A similar statement from the Israeli Embassy in Washington said they had discussed “the different challenges and opportunities in the Middle East,” including the potential nuclear threat from Iran, the war in Gaza and the importance of “repelling anti-Israel initiatives in the international arena.”
Neither man spoke as they posed for photos before their meeting and neither responded to shouted questions from reporters about the killings of Palestinian journalists in Gaza.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News on Tuesday that President Donald Trump would chair a separate meeting, which would feature “a very comprehensive plan” for post-war Gaza.
He did not offer details about that meeting, which did not appear on Trump’s public schedule for Wednesday. Witkoff also said the official U.S. position was that hostages — Hamas’ main source of leverage — should no longer be part of negotiations. He told Fox News the talks should focus on issues such as Gaza’s future and how to define Hamas in that context.
Aid groups warn that an expanded Israeli military offensive could worsen the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory, where most of the over 2 million residents have been displaced.
The Israeli military on Wednesday told residents of Gaza City to prepare to leave.
“The evacuation of Gaza City is inevitable,” spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote in Arabic on X. He said Israeli forces have surveyed vast empty areas south of the city “to assist the evacuating residents as much as possible.” He said the displaced would receive space for tents, and infrastructure would be set up to distribute aid and water.
As a growing chorus of international leaders urges Israel to reconsider its offensive and commit to talks, Pope Leo XIV called for Israel to halt the “collective punishment” and forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.
More than 80% of Gaza is designated as an Israeli military zone or subject to displacement orders, the U.N. humanitarian agency said in June.
Israel has pressed ahead with plans to mobilize tens of thousands of reservists. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the military will launch its offensive while simultaneously pursuing a ceasefire.
Hamas said last week that it accepted a ceasefire plan from Arab mediators. Last week, an official from Qatar said the proposal under discussion was “almost identical” to an earlier draft that Witkoff put forth and Israel accepted.
The deal said to be under discussion would include a 60-day truce, the release of some of the 50 remaining hostages held by Hamas in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza and a road map toward talks on a lasting ceasefire.
Many in Netanyahu’s coalition oppose such a phased deal. Meanwhile, protests have swelled in Israel as hostages' families and their supporters press for a ceasefire. The government argues that a widened offensive is the best way to bring them home and cripple Hamas’ capacity to launch future attacks.
Hamas-led terrorists abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Of the 50 remaining in Gaza, Israel believes around 20 are alive.