U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio declares Washington's full support for Israel

Staying in the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio have reaffirmed their resolve to eradicate Hamas from the Gaza Strip while reiterating Mr. Trump's ambitious plans for the region.

Our Choi Soo-hyung reports.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Israel as his first stop during his first Middle East tour.

On Sunday local time, in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Rubio pledged full U.S. support.

He said that threats that violate peace should be eliminated.

"Related to that, the president's been very clear. Hamas cannot continue as a military or government force. They must be eliminated. It must be eradicated."

Netanyahu stated that he is cooperating perfectly with President Trump and welcomed Trump's firm stance on the release of the remaining hostages.

He also expressed support for Trump's plan to relocate residents and develop Gaza which has been opposed by many other countries.

In response, Secretary Rubio said that President Trump has presented a bold plan.

"The president's also been very bold about his view of what the future for Gaza should be. Not the same tired ideas of the past, but something that's bold and something that frankly took courage and vision in order to outline."

The two countries have also agreed to jointly address the nuclear threat posed by Iran.

"Israel and America stand shoulder-to-shoulder in countering the threat of Iran. We agree that the ayatollahs must not have nuclear weapons, and we also agree that Iran's aggression in the region has to be rolled back."

The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has entered a six-week ceasefire, from January 19th.

The first phase is set to conclude on March 1st, but the negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire are at a standstill.

"So there is no exact timeline for finalizing the second phase of the ceasefire plan but the situation remains fluid and heavily influenced by political maneuvering and the ability of negotiators to facilitate these negotiations."

Meanwhile, Hamas says that three police officers were killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Gaza, while Israel says it hit "several armed individuals."

Choi Soo-hyung, Arirang News.