US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that an Israeli plan to occupy 70% of Gaza is not part of the Trump administration’s proposal for ending the war, facing sharp questioning from Democratic lawmakers over the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave.
“We have a plan. It doesn’t call for that,” Rubio said when pressed by Democratic Representative Rosa DeLauro on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s directive for Israel’s military to “take over” 70% of Gaza’s territory. Rubio battled to respond directly to the issue despite growing condemnation of Israel’s actions against the backdrop of verbal condemnation with no further actions.
When further pressed about his views on Netanyahu’s remarks, Rubio reiterated: “He made that statement, but that’s not part of this plan.”
Rubio’s remarks came as he testified before the House Appropriations Committee to defend the State Department’s budget request, where he faced questioning from lawmakers on topics ranging from the Iran war to Gaza, and from Venezuela to Cuba.
During the hearing, DeLauro accused the Trump administration of having “forgotten about the crisis in Gaza” and failing to implement the 20-point plan. The plan is for Israel to reduce the areas in occupies over time, yet the Board of Peace has remained silent about the territorial grabs and ongoing genocide against the Gazans.
Rubio rejected the characterisation, saying: “No, no one’s forgotten about it.”
“There’s not active combat operations happening of the kind that we saw a few months ago, but it’s still a challenge that we’re going to work through”. His response came against daily killing of Gazans taking shelter in ever-shrinking space.
Asked about progress on President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, Rubio said the administration is currently seeking an international stabilisation force for Gaza, contingent on Hamas agreeing to demilitarise. Hamas is unwilling to disarm until the Zionists stop the killings.
“No one’s going to invest money in Gaza until Hamas is demilitarised, because they know there’s going to be another war,” he said, adding that regional partners are also pressing Hamas to comply.
Despite a ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, the Israeli army has killed 932 Palestinians and injured 2 859 in almost daily attacks, according to the Gaza Media Office.
Since October 2023, nearly 73 000 Palestinians have been killed by occupation forces and more than 173 000 injured, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian figures. – AA
Phase one of Trump’s 20-point plan included a halt to hostilities, partial Israeli withdrawal, hostage-prisoner exchanges, and the entry of full humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave.
Phase two requires the deployment of an International Stabilization Force, disarmament of Hamas, full Israeli withdrawal, and the formation of a “technocratic” Palestinian committee to temporarily rule Gaza.
On Thursday, Netanyahu said Israel intends to expand the area under military control in Gaza to 70%, after acknowledging that Israeli forces currently control around 60% of the territory.
Israeli forces had previously announced control of 53% of Gaza after withdrawing to what they called the “Yellow Line” under the first phase of the plan backed by Trump.
– ‘De facto annexation’ of West Bank
The congresswoman also challenged Rubio on Israeli actions in the West Bank, noting the humanitarian situation in Gaza is worsening as Israel pursues what she called “a de facto annexation” of the territory, and asked whether that trajectory could lead to a two-state solution.
Rubio said Trump has consistently opposed unilateral changes to the West Bank’s status.
“The president has stated clearly and repeatedly, he is not in favor of these changes, or just changes in the status in the West Bank — it potentially complicates our ability to work out the deal in Gaza,” Rubio said. “We’ve shared that with our Israeli counterparts as well.”
Violence has surged across the occupied West Bank since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, with Palestinian officials reporting 1,168 deaths, 12,666 injuries, nearly 23,000 arrests and the displacement of around 33,000 people.
Palestinian officials have accused Israeli authorities and settlers of expanding settlement activity, demolishing homes and infrastructure, and forcibly displacing communities across the occupied territory.