US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Sunday that the war in Gaza is still ongoing, emphasizing that the immediate focus is on securing the release of hostages held by Hamas. He described this release as the first phase of a broader plan, with further details yet to be finalized. Rubio mentioned that Hamas has "basically" agreed to President Donald Trump's proposal regarding the hostages, and discussions are currently taking place to coordinate the logistics of their release.

Rubio explained, "They have also agreed, in principle and generalities, to enter into this idea about what's going to happen afterwards," indicating that many details still need to be addressed. He noted that the US would quickly determine Hamas's seriousness during the ongoing technical talks.

The Secretary of State highlighted that the top priority is the release of all hostages in exchange for Israel withdrawing to the yellow line, which marks its position in Gaza as of mid-August. He acknowledged that the subsequent phase of establishing a stable governance structure in Gaza would be more challenging.

Rubio stated, "What happens after Israel pulls back to the yellow line, and potentially beyond that, as this thing develops? How do you create this Palestinian technocratic leadership that's not Hamas?" He stressed the importance of disarming any terrorist groups that might threaten Israel, saying, "All that work, that's going to be hard, but that's critical, because without that, you're not going to have lasting peace."

In related developments, Hamas has expressed a willingness to negotiate a prisoner exchange and end the conflict, as indicated by their spokesman. The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant casualties, with the death toll among Palestinians exceeding 67,000 since the war began nearly two years ago. The situation remains fluid as international efforts continue to seek a resolution to the crisis in Gaza.