‘As long as Hamas exists there won't be peace’, says State Sec Rubio as US signals support for Israeli Gaza offensive

Amid reports that a new Israeli offensive in Gaza could be imminent, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled strong U.S. support, emphasizing that peace could only be achieved once the terror group Hamas is destroyed.

In an interview with Fox News, Rubio said on Wednesday that the aid crisis in the Gaza Strip should not overshadow this fact.

“There’s a lot of attention being paid to the humanitarian [issue], and we want to do everything we can to be helpful on the humanitarian problem,” Rubio argued.

🇺🇸U.S. @SecRubio: “Hamas cannot continue to exist … as long as Hamas exists as an armed group in Gaza there will not be a peaceful future because it's going to happen again — and this can never happen again.” pic.twitter.com/NrRBR4ITI7

— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) August 7, 2025

“But not enough attention [is] being paid to the fact that 20 people [who] had nothing to do with this are being held hostage in tunnels on the verge of death, and no real talk about how Hamas needs to be disarmed and disbanded.”

He said the three issues are interrelated and that the Trump administration is committed to addressing each of them.

“Ultimately, Hamas cannot continue to exist. Even the Arab League says it,” Rubio added, referring to the New York Declaration that was signed by numerous Arab countries last month. The declaration contained the group’s first official condemnation of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 invasion and massacre in southern Israel.

The 7-page declaration, which was spearheaded by France and Saudi Arabia, also contained a call for a Palestinian State, which Rubio has called a “reckless decision” that only “serves Hamas propaganda and … is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.”

“As long as Hamas exists as an armed group in Gaza, there will not be peace, there will not be a peaceful future – because it’s going to happen again. And this can never happen again,” he told Fox News.

When asked whether he thought that the reported Israeli plan to take over the entire Gaza Strip was a wise decision, Rubio reiterated U.S. President Donald Trump’s earlier response, that Israel’s security was best decided by its government, and noted he was in continuous contact with Israeli representatives.

Indirectly confirming Rubio’s comments, Axios cited U.S. and Israeli officials saying President Trump is not opposed to the Israeli plan to take over the entire Gaza Strip, which could receive final approval from the Israeli security cabinet on Thursday evening.

One U.S. official said Trump was deeply affected by the video of Israeli hostage Evyatar David being forced to dig his own grave in a tunnel.

“It influenced the president, and he is going to let the Israelis do what they need to do,” the official said.