Rubio: Gaza War Has Damaged “Israel’s” Global Image

By Staff, Agencies

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Marco Rubio admitted Sunday that “Israel’s” brutal war on Gaza has severely harmed its international reputation, amid a rising global outcry over the scale of atrocities committed against the Palestinian people.

Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, Rubio acknowledged the growing backlash, noting that the world is increasingly aligning with the Palestinian Cause.

“Whether we agree with it or not, we’ve seen countries like the UK, Australia and Canada come out and either signal or announce support for a Palestinian state,” he said. “Even in our own domestic politics, we’ve seen growing attacks on ‘Israel’. And that’s really the president’s point — whether you think the war was justified or not, you can’t ignore how it has affected ‘Israel’s’ global standing”.

His remarks came shortly after the “Israeli” occupation military announced a temporary pause in its bombardment of Gaza City — not out of humanitarian concern, but as part of logistical arrangements for a potential prisoner exchange agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump.

Despite international calls — including from Trump — to immediately halt the genocidal assault on Gaza, “Israel” has continued its airstrikes, leveling entire neighborhoods and targeting civilians, hospitals, schools and shelters.

Since October 2023, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been martyred, the majority of them women and children, in what many human rights organizations and legal experts have condemned as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Rubio expressed hope that the violence may be paused temporarily once the prisoner swap begins, stating: “Once the logistics are agreed upon, everyone understands you can’t release hostages in the middle of strikes — so the strikes will have to stop”.

The proposed agreement involves Hamas releasing the remaining captives in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in “Israeli” occupation jails, many of them detained without charge or trial. However, Tel Aviv continues to reject Hamas’ core demands — a permanent ceasefire, full withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza, and the right of Palestinians to self-determination.

Hamas has rejected US and “Israeli” demands to disarm, insisting that resistance is a legitimate right under occupation, especially in the face of genocide, forced displacement and settler colonialism.

Rubio’s comments reflect growing anxiety in Washington that unwavering US support for “Israel” is backfiring, not only undermining American credibility but also accelerating “Israel’s” isolation on the world stage — even among its traditional allies.