Rubio vows to work ‘tirelessly’ to free hostages during call with FM Sa’ar – The Jerusalem Post

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio conducted a phone call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, in which he emphasized his support for Israel and vowed to work to release all the hostages held in Hamas captivity, the US State Department announced after the call on Friday morning.

Rubio began by congratulating Sa’ar on the three hostages that were released through the implemented ceasefire deal on Sunday, the State Department said.

It added that in the phone call, Rubio “pledged to work tirelessly to help free all remaining hostages held in Gaza.”

Rubio also said he “welcomed continued flow of aid into Gaza” during the phone call.

Furthermore, Rubio said he commended Sa’ar on Israel’s “successes” with the Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups and for the “ongoing efforts” to implement a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. 

According to Rubio, Israel’s ceasefire with Lebanon “conveyed the mutual understanding that the pursuit of peace in the region requires addressing the threats posed by Iran,” the State Department concluded.

Rubio calls Netanyahu 

This phone call comes a day after Rubio spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone as well.

The call was Rubio’s first with Israel since the administration of Republican President Donald Trump took office on Monday. The two also discussed Iran and Israeli hostages in Gaza, the State Department said.

Additionally, Rubio held calls on Wednesday with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the State Department said, adding the topics discussed included Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon, among others.

Reuters contributed to this report.