US Secretary Of State Rubio: No Single Country Has Played Major Role In Ending Gaza Conflict

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. (Wikimedia Commons/Official State Department/Freddie Everett)

JAKARTA - United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that no country would play a major role in ending the conflict in the Gaza Strip, saying that countries that recognize the State of Palestine would only play a minor role.

Speaking on NBC's "Today" program about the situation in Gaza, Secretary Rubio claimed their goal is "not to end the war, but to achieve peace," and that "you can't achieve peace as long as Hamas exists," as quoted by Anadolu Agency on September 25.

Secretary Rubio said that the people of Gaza would have better opportunities in a Gaza that has been rebuilt with the help of many countries, including the US, and expressed no concern about the recognition of the State of Palestine by countries like the UK, France, and Canada.

"No, not at all concerned. No country is really going to play a major role in ending this conflict in Gaza," he added.

Reiterating that the recognition of Palestine by these countries is part of their domestic policy, he added: "The reality is that any future resolution of this issue with Israel will have to be negotiated. It will not depend on France, the UK, or any other country."

In a separate appearance on CBS's "Mornings," Secretary Rubio was asked if he believed in a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

"Well, listen, the future of the Palestinian people living side by side with the Jewish people in Israel is something that everyone knows has to be negotiated," he explained.

"It has to be part of a much broader, more complex negotiation. From Israel's perspective, you have to not only, if there's going to be a state, you need to know, well, who's the government of that state?"

Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Portugal announced their recognition of Palestine on September 21, while France did so on September 22.