Marco Rubio to tour the Middle East

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will tour the Middle East between Feb. 13 and 18.

The American official will begin his trip by attending the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, and will then visit Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

The tour will take place after President Donald Trump announced during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last Tuesday at the White House, his plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip, which includes taking control of the Palestinian coastal enclave and the voluntary and transitory relocation of Gazans to other countries, especially Jordan and Egypt, a proposal that sparked criticism in the Middle East and Europe.

Reuters indicated that, during his tour, Rubio plans to talk about Gaza, the aftermath of the Oct. 7 massacre and Trump's initiative for the region after the war in the Palestinian coastal enclave ends.

"The status quo can't continue. It's like wash, rinse and repeat. It becomes familiar and you begin to think this is just what life is and what we have to expect. President Trump and Marco Rubio believe that that's not the case, that things can change," a U.S. official told Reuters.

'Gaza must be free of Hamas'

In the context of Netanyahu's visit to the United States, Rubio endorsed Trump's plan to move Gazans to other countries while the United States takes responsibility for Gaza and its reconstruction.

"Gaza must be free of Hamas," the official expressed on X. He added that the U.S. is "ready to take the lead and make Gaza Beautiful Again."

"Our goal is a lasting peace in the region for all people," he remarked.

Rubio said Thursday from the Dominican Republic that Gaza is currently uninhabitable due to destruction and unexploded weapons, including those from the Hamas terrorist group, so it is necessary to work to rebuild the Palestinian coastal enclave. He added that it is very difficult to carry out such work as long as the population remains there.