Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Israel-Hamas deal, hostage release logistics and more
(CBS, KYMA) - Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation Sunday about a possible deal between Israel and Hamas.
According to Brennan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "he's only allowing these talks that will be underway in Egypt to go for a few days," prompting her to ask Secretary Rubio what exactly is the deadline for Hamas and other terror groups holding hostages and when they will be releasing them, to which the secretary said:
"A couple points. Hamas has...obviously, look, we're dealing with Hamas. Okay. So let's take that for what it is. But they have said that they agree with the President's framework for the release of the hostages. So what those talks should be about, and some of that conversation is already happening now, it's not waiting until Monday in Cairo, is the logistics behind the release of these hostages. How do you stop the fighting? Who's going to go in and get them? You know, when are they going to be released? Where are they picked up? What are the processes for this? That's what...this conversation should be about at this point, because they've agreed to the framework of it. Then there's second...beyond that is what happens after that. And that is, how do we ensure that we can create and help build a Gaza free of terrorism, free of Hamas, free of anything like Hamas and that's going to take work and some time, not just to agree on but to implement. But that's important because that's what's going to bring a permanent end to these hostilities in the long term. And so those are the two phases here. But right now, the most emergent and immediate phase is the one that Hamas claims to have agreed to already, and that is they are prepared to release the hostages. Let's discuss, through the mediators, the logistics and the mechanics behind how that happens. And that has to happen very quickly. That cannot drag on."
During the interview, Brennan and Rubio talked about hostage release logistics.
"We're trying to get the hostages out. That's the bottom line. We want to get the hostages out as soon as possible. For that to happen, there can't be a war going on in the middle of it, and Hamas has to agree to turn them over. We have to have the right people go in and get them. That's what we're going to focus on right now, and that's what we're going to...that's what we've been focused on, and that's what the talks are going to be about today, on Monday, on Tuesday, to get this done as soon as possible."
Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
Later in the interview, Brennan and Rubio talked about Prime Minister Netanyahu's operations in Gaza.
According to Brennan, President Donald Trump told Axios that the prime minister "took it very far and Israel lost a lot of support in the world. Now I'm going to get all that support back," leading her to ask Rubio at what point did the president decide Netanyahu took the fight to Gaza and when did he take it too far, and Rubio said:
"I think the president's observation, basically, is that because of the length of this war and how it's gone...we've all seen the international narrative. We've all seen it, whether we agree with it or not. We have seen countries like the U.K., Australia, Canada and others come out and sort of signal support, or announce support for a Palestinian state. We have seen, even in our own domestic politics, some of the attacks on Israel. We don't forget what happened on October 7. That's the other thing the President repeatedly points to is, remember October 7. But whether we agree with it or not, we have seen the impact that this has had on Israel's global standing. And I think that's the point the President is making here, is that whether you believe it was justified or not, right or not, that you cannot ignore the impact that this has had on Israel's global standing. That said, if we never want to see this happen again, meaning a war like this, you can never have another October 7 or anything like it ever happen again. And that's the thing the President has reiterated and repeatedly made clear to our partners in the region, and that is, if you truly want peace and stability and a better future for the Palestinian people, then there has to be a Gaza that is not governed or controlled in any way, shape or form by Hamas, or anything that looks like Hamas."
To watch more of Brennan's interview with Rubio, click here.
