Netanyahu, Rubio discuss US-Israel coordination on Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking alongside US secretary of state Marco Rubio in Jerusalem, said that Israel and the US are working "in full cooperation" on issues concerning the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu said he and Rubio had a "very productive" discussion on US President Donald Trump's "bold vision for Gaza's future," which includes relocating Gaza's Palestinian population to neighbouring countries and turning the enclave into the "riviera" of the Middle East, Xinhua news agency reported.

Thanking the US for its "unequivocal" support for Israel's policies in Gaza, Netanyahu said he and Trump "have a common strategy," while noting that "we can't always share the details of this strategy with the public, including when the gates of hell will be opened, as they surely will if all our hostages are not released until the last one of them."

Netanyahu also emphasised US-Israel coordination regarding Iran, saying the two countries "work shoulder to shoulder" to counter Tehran's nuclear program and regional military activities. He added both sides agreed that Iran "must not have nuclear weapons" and that "Iran's aggression in the region has to be rolled back."

Rubio, in his remarks, said the hostages still held in Gaza "need to come home, they need to be released," adding, "That must happen. It's not optional."

According to Rubio, Trump "has been very clear that Hamas cannot continue as a government (governing body) or military force," arguing that as long as the group remains in power, "peace becomes impossible."

"It must be eradicated, it must be eliminated," he said.

Rubio also defended Trump's vision for Gaza's future, calling it "something new" that requires "courage and vision."

Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) opened fire toward residents returning to the village of Houla in southern Lebanon, resulting in the death of a woman and the injury of several others.

The Israeli army also abducted three citizens during the incident, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the Lebanon's official National News Agency.

Earlier, residents of Houla returned to their village after crossing the Lebanese army checkpoint and the barriers set up by Israeli soldiers.

The Lebanese Army Command stressed in a statement on social media platform X that given the dangers of unexploded ordnance left behind by Israeli forces, and the potential presence of "enemy troops," citizens should avoid southern areas where the army deployment has not been completed and adhere to the instructions of deployed military units.

Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have continued to conduct strikes in Lebanon, citing security threats.