The State Department has said that United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio will leave on Saturday on a trip to Israel to offer support before French-led moves to recognise a Palestinian state, AFP reports.

Rubio is going ahead with the visit despite President Donald Trump gently reprimanding Israel for a surprise attack on Hamas on Tuesday in Qatar, a key US partner.

Rubio will speak to Israeli leaders about “our commitment to fight anti-Israel actions, including unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state that rewards Hamas terrorism”, State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

Rubio will emphasise “the US commitment to Israeli security”, Pigott said.

“He will also emphasise our shared goals: ensuring Hamas never rules over Gaza again and bringing all the hostages home,” he said, adding that Rubio will meet families of hostages.

He said that Rubio would discuss Israel’s “operational goals and objectives” in its new offensive, which includes a goal of seizing the already rubble-strewn territory’s main urban hub of Gaza City.

The statement made no mention of the strikes in Qatar, although Rubio will meet in Washington with the Gulf state’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

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