Secretary of State Marco Rubio says mediators of Gaza ceasefire shared information to uncover a recent threat – Chicago Tribune
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that Israel, the United States and other mediators of the Gaza ceasefire agreement shared information to thwart any threats, which allowed them to identify a possible imminent attack last weekend.
The State Department said a week ago that it had “credible reports” that Hamas may be violating the ceasefire by attacking Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
“We put out a message through the State Department and also sent it to our mediators about an imminent attack, and that did not happen,” he told reporters as he traveled from Israel to Qatar, where he met with President Donald Trump for a multi-stop tour of Asia. “So the goal here is, ultimately, to identify a threat before it happens.”
Rubio said several countries wanted to join an international stabilization force that aims to deploy to Gaza, but needed more details on the mission and rules of engagement.
The United States could call for a U.N. resolution supporting the force so more countries could participate, he said, adding that the United States was talking with Qatar, Egypt and Turkey and noted interest from Indonesia and Azerbaijan.
“Many countries that want to be part of it can’t do it without it,” he said of an international mandate.
He also noted that next week, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine is expected to be the last in a group of U.S. officials to visit Israel.
Vice President JD Vance joined special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner earlier in the week in Israel in an effort to shore up the fragile ceasefire agreement. Rubio arrived just after Vance left, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting a U.S.-led coordination center monitoring the ceasefire.
Rubio touched on several other key foreign policy priorities in his remarks to reporters. Here is an overview:
Sanctions against the Colombian president
A day after the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his family and a member of his government over accusations of involvement in global drug trafficking, Rubio said it was not about targeting the country itself, which is one of the closest U.S. allies in the region.
“This is not a matter between the United States and Colombia,” he said. “This is our response to the actions of what has become a hostile foreign leader.”
He said that the United States has excellent relations with the Colombian population and institutions and that the Trump administration does not want to harm the country’s economy, which is why it suspended the imposition of customs duties. Last weekend, Trump threatened to abandon them.
Asked if he would rule out tariffs, Rubio said Trump makes those decisions but “obviously the president was aware of the options available to him and chose those instead.”
The sanctions have heightened tensions with Colombia’s first left-wing leader, who has hit back at the Trump administration.
“I believe that the current US government has violated the rule of law by punishing me as if I were a gangster, even though I have dedicated my life to fighting the mafia,” Petro wrote on
Position towards Venezuela
Reporters asked Rubio whether other leaders in the region could help push Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to resign, as speculation raged about whether recent U.S. military actions in Latin America were aimed at ousting Maduro. Rubio responded that when the United States deploys assets in its own hemisphere, “everyone panics.”
The Trump administration has launched a series of strikes against suspected drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific and is currently deploying an aircraft carrier to South America.
Rubio said the United States was participating in a counter-drug operation. And he again accused Maduro’s government of authorizing and participating in the transportation of narcotics.
“This is a very serious problem for the hemisphere and very destabilizing,” Rubio said. “And this must be resolved.”
He says other countries in the region, including Ecuador, Mexico, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, are cooperating in the fight against drug trafficking.
Taiwan and China
Rubio said it was important for the United States to remain engaged with China, but that Taiwan would not become a bargaining chip for the world’s largest economies to reach a broader trade deal.
Trump said he hoped to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea in the coming days during his trip to Asia. Beijing claims sovereignty over the autonomous island and promises to seize it by force if necessary. The United States is obligated by its own laws to provide military support to Taiwan.
“If what people are worried about is us getting a trade deal or favorable trade treatment in exchange for our withdrawal from Taiwan, no one is considering that,” Rubio said.
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