Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed the U.S.' "unwavering support" for Israel, the State Department said in a release.
Rubio spoke with Netanyahu "to underscore that maintaining the United States' steadfast support for Israel is a top priority for President [Donald] Trump."
He also "congratulated the Prime Minister on Israel's successes against Hamas and Hezbollah and pledged to work tirelessly to help free all remaining hostages held in Gaza. The Secretary also conveyed that he looks forward to addressing the threats posed by Iran and pursuing opportunities for peace," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
The report comes as Israel said on Thursday the terms of a ceasefire with Hezbollah were not being implemented fast enough, and there was more work to do, while the Iran-backed group urged pressure to ensure Israeli troops leave south Lebanon by Monday as set out in the deal.
The deal stipulates that Israeli troops withdraw from south Lebanon, Hezbollah remove fighters and weapons from the area, and Lebanese troops deploy there — all within a 60-day time frame which will conclude on Monday at 4 a.m.
The deal, brokered by the United States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities triggered by the Gaza war. The fighting peaked with a major Israeli offensive that displaced more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon and left Hezbollah severely weakened.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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