On February 16th, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu held talks with visiting US Secretary of State Rubio. After the meeting, both sides issued a joint statement. Netanyahu stated that he is “fully cooperating and coordinating” with US President Trump on the Gaza issue. He discussed with Rubio Trump’s plan for the Gaza Strip and how it would be implemented. Netanyahu also emphasized that Israel will achieve all of its operational goals, namely “eliminating Hamas,” “returning all detainees,” and “ensuring that the Gaza Strip does not pose a threat to Israel in the future. Both sides also discussed the situation in Syria and Lebanon. When talking about the Lebanon issue, Netanyahu stated that Israel is committed to a ceasefire and fulfilling the agreement reached in November last year, and hopes that the Lebanese government will also be committed to this. US Secretary of State Rubio also stated in a statement on the same day that the United States demands Hamas to release all Israeli detainees. He said, ‘Releasing hostages is not an option, but a must do.’.
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