WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio, will fly to Israel this weekend amid tensions with fellow U.S. allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on Friday that Rubio would depart on Saturday to visit Israel before joining up with Trump’s planned visit to Britain next week.

Rubio in Israel will emphasize Washington and Israel’s shared goals, Pigott said in a statement, citing the need to ensure Hamas never rules Gaza again and the return of hostages taken in the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by militants that killed 1,200 people and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

Israel’s nearly

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