U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Thursday afternoon, just hours after Vice President J.D. Vance concluded a two-day visit, as part of Washington’s push to ensure full implementation of President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace deal.

Rubio’s visit prompted the Security Cabinet to move up its scheduled meeting, which convened earlier at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Israel

(Photo: Ziv Sokolov/US Embassy)

Speaking before boarding his flight to Israel on Wednesday, Rubio said countries outside the Middle East were ready to contribute to an international stabilization force in Gaza, calling Hamas’ rule over the Palestinian population “horrific.”

He also expressed concern over a preliminary Knesset vote to apply Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank, warning that such moves pose a threat to the ceasefire and overall peace effort. “Well, that’s a vote in the Knesset, but I think that the president has made clear that that’s not something that we would be supportive of right now, and we think that’s even threatening to the peace deal,” he said.
A senior Israeli official described mounting U.S. pressure on Israel to abide by the terms of the deal, noting a continuous stream of high-level American visits. “The Americans are frantic. They’re going full bore,” the official said, adding that Washington’s involvement is unprecedented, and American officials are determined not to let the agreement fall apart.

Marco Rubio on Knesset’s West Bank sovereignty vote

(Video: Reuters)

A top U.S. priority remains the return of all fallen Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. Vice President Vance, before departing, noted that some bodies are believed to be buried deep underground, and locating them will take time. “Patience is needed,” he said, criticizing what he called “hysterical” Western media coverage that portrays any incident as a failure of the deal. Nonetheless, he voiced optimism and emphasized that tremendous effort is being invested to uphold the ceasefire.

Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Adm. Brad Cooper is actively leading efforts to establish a multinational stabilization force for Gaza. The force will also include a special task unit focused on locating the remains of hostages.

According to sources involved in the planning, the stabilization force would be tasked with verifying Hamas’s disarmament, enforcing the demilitarization of the Strip, and ensuring Israel refrains from military operations that could violate the ceasefire. The force is intended to serve as a counterweight to Hamas and offer a basic sense of security to Gaza’s civilian population.