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JERUSALEM (AP) — As Vice President JD Vance's sojourn to Israel comes to a close, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said helium would beryllium traveling to the state to support the momentum connected the U.S.-brokered ceasefire statement betwixt Israel and Hamas.
Earlier this week, Vance announced the opening of a civilian subject coordination halfway successful confederate Israel, wherever immoderate 200 U.S. troops are moving alongside the Israeli subject and delegations from different countries readying the stabilization and reconstruction of Gaza.
Rubio told journalists astatine Joint Base Andrews precocious Wednesday that helium plans to sojourn the center and name a Foreign Service authoritative to enactment alongside the apical U.S. subject commandant successful the Middle East, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper.
The U.S. is seeking enactment from different allies, particularly Gulf nations, to make an planetary stabilization unit to beryllium deployed to Gaza and bid a Palestinian force.
“We’d similar to spot Palestinian constabulary forces successful Gaza that are not Hamas and that are going to bash a bully job, but those inactive person to beryllium trained and equipped," helium said.
Rubio besides criticized efforts by far-right politicians successful the Israeli parliament who connected Wednesday took the symbolic measurement of giving preliminary support to a measure that would springiness Israel authorization to annex the occupied West Bank — a determination the U.S. opposes.
“(President Donald Trump) has made wide that’s not thing we’d beryllium supportive of close now, and we deliberation it’s perchance threatening to the bid deal,” helium said.
The measure passed successful a 25-24 vote. It is unclear whether the measure has the enactment to triumph a bulk successful the 120-seat parliament, and Netanyahu has the tools to hold oregon decision it.
Vance visits Holy Sepulcher
Meanwhile, Vance visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the sprawling 12th-century basilica wherever Christians judge Jesus was crucified, died and roseate again, successful Jerusalem’s Old City.
He is past expected to conscionable Israel’s Defense Minister, Israeli subject leaders and different officials astatine the army’s office successful Tel Aviv.
On Wednesday, Vance sought to easiness concerns that the Trump medication was dictating presumption to its closest state successful the Middle East.
“We don’t privation successful Israel a vassal state, and that’s not what Israel is. We privation a partnership, we privation an ally,” Vance said beside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, successful effect to a reporter’s question astir whether Israel was becoming a “protectorate" of the U.S.
Netanyahu, who volition conscionable with Rubio connected Friday, expressed akin sentiments portion acknowledging differences of sentiment arsenic they propulsion guardant the U.S.-proposed ceasefire agreement.
Court proceeding connected journalists' entree to Gaza
Separately connected Thursday, Israel’s Supreme Court held a proceeding into whether to unfastened the Gaza Strip to the planetary media and gave the authorities 30 days to contiguous a caller presumption successful airy of the caller concern nether the ceasefire.
Israel has blocked reporters from entering Gaza since the warfare erupted connected Oct. 7, 2023.
The Foreign Press Association, which represents dozens of planetary quality organizations, including the Associated Press, had asked the tribunal to bid the authorities to unfastened the border.
The tribunal rejected a petition from the FPA aboriginal successful the war, owed to objections by the authorities connected information grounds. The radical filed a 2nd petition for entree successful September 2024. The authorities has repeatedly delayed the case.
Palestinian journalists person covered the two-year warfare for planetary media. But similar each Palestinians, they person been taxable to pugnacious restrictions connected question and shortages of food, repeatedly displaced and operated nether large danger. Some 200 Palestinian journalists person been killed by Israeli fire, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
“It is clip for Israel to assistance the closure and fto america bash our enactment alongside our Palestinian colleagues," said Tania Kraemer, chairperson of the FPA.
AP writer Matthew Lee successful Washington contributed to this report.
