What is the purpose of Marco Rubio's visit to Israel?

Marco Rubio's visit aims to solidify the fragile ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 10. He is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure the agreement's stability.

Who are the American officials visiting Israel alongside Marco Rubio?

Alongside Marco Rubio, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance is visiting Israel, as well as presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who have already left following their involvement in discussions related to the ceasefire.

What recent actions have been taken by the Israeli Knesset that concern American officials?

The Israeli Knesset recently voted on two bills that aim to expand Israeli sovereignty over specific territories, including the Ma'ale Adumim settlement and the entire West Bank, which has raised concerns among American officials regarding the impact on the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

How has Marco Rubio reacted to the annexation bills proposed in the Knesset?

Marco Rubio criticized the annexation bills, stating that they threaten the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, highlighting the tension between Israeli legislative actions and American diplomatic efforts.

What are the implications of U.S. involvement in Israeli politics as described in the article?

The U.S. involvement suggests a level of oversight on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, indicating that American officials are monitoring his actions to prevent any developments that could jeopardize the ceasefire agreement and the stability in the region.

What challenges did U.S. officials identify regarding Hamas and Gaza's reconstruction?

U.S. officials, including Vance, acknowledged that disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza are difficult tasks, emphasizing the need to improve the living conditions of residents while ensuring Hamas does not pose a threat to Israel again.

Marco Rubio in Tel Aviv .. Third American Visit to Control Netanyahu and Preserve the Gaza Agreement

* Intensive Visit by American Officials

As U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance continues his visit to Israel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to join him today, Thursday, and meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tomorrow, Friday.

Rubio's visit comes after the departure of presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, aimed at solidifying the fragile ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect on the tenth of this month.

A senior American official confirmed that the visits of Vance and Rubio, along with Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner this week, aim to maintain the momentum of the ceasefire, according to Reuters.

* American Movement to Monitor Netanyahu

While Israeli sources believe that this intensive American diplomatic movement aims to rein in Netanyahu, according to Israeli media.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority considered that "the arrival of American officials one after another in Israel constitutes a kind of direct oversight on Netanyahu and aims to prevent the collapse of the Gaza agreement.

Israeli journalist Itamar Eishner stated that the American officials came to "care for Bibi", meaning to closely monitor Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth".

* Annexation Bills in the Knesset

However, despite this intensive American movement, Knesset members voted yesterday, Wednesday, on two bills in the preliminary reading, which paves the way for their first reading.

The first bill, proposed by the leader of the opposition Israel Beitenu party Avigdor Lieberman, was approved by a majority of 32 votes against 9 opposing votes, aiming to expand Israeli sovereignty to include the Ma'ale Adumim settlement, which has a population of over 40,000 and is located directly east of Jerusalem.

The second bill, proposed by right-wing opposition member Avi Maoz, was approved by a majority of 25 votes in favor and 24 against, aiming to extend Israeli sovereignty over the entire West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

* American Criticism of Annexation Bills

Rubio criticized these two bills, stating that "Israel's annexation projects in the West Bank threaten the ceasefire agreement in Gaza".

Vance expressed yesterday his belief that the Gaza agreement will hold, while also indicating that the issue of disarming Hamas may take time, describing the task as "difficult".

During a joint press conference with the Israeli Prime Minister in Jerusalem, he said: "We face a very difficult task, which is disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza, in an effort to improve the lives of the residents, and also to ensure that Hamas does not return to pose a threat to Israel".

* Israeli Pressure on the American Administration

However, an Israeli official revealed that Tel Aviv is exerting pressure on the Trump administration to disarm Hamas before moving to the reconstruction phase, which could pose a threat to the Gaza agreement, according to CNN.

It is worth noting that the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza came into effect on October 10, while American officials began discussing its second phase, which focuses on the issue of reconstruction and deploying Arab and Islamic international forces in the devastated Palestinian sector.