As Rubio meets with Netanyahu, an Arab-Islamic summit will be held Monday in Qatar's capital, Doha, where preparations have begun. The meeting seeks to draft a response to Israel's attack in Qatar, as Arab nations face pressure to take meaningful action rather than making statements that have been viewed as ineffective.
After Israel's strike, the United States reportedly asked the Persian Gulf nation to continue its mediation efforts as Prime Minister Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani said in a statement that Qatar "reserves the right to respond" to the attack.
"My focus will be on securing the return of hostages, finding ways to make sure humanitarian aid reaches civilians, and addressing the threat posed by Hamas," Rubio posted on social media. "Hamas cannot continue to exist if peace in the region is the goal."
Last week, Israel issued an order calling for residents of Gaza's largest city to evacuate and said its military would operate with "great force." It was unclear where Palestinian civilians are expected to go.
The State Department said in a news release that Rubio, who will also be traveling to Britain, will emphasize the United States' position against the "unilateral" recognition of a Palestinian state while criticizing the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice for "lawfare" against Israel.
The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, on charges of war crimes in Gaza, while the ICJ is hearing South Africa's genocide case against Israel and has ordered provisional measures to safeguard Palestinian civilians.
During his visit, Rubio is expected to meet with families of Israelis held captive by Hamas.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society said in a report Sunday that Israeli forces carried out 540 arrests in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in August, including some 49 children and 19 women, bringing the total of Palestinians arrested in those enclaves to more than 19,000 since the war started.
It is unclear how many Gazan prisoners have been held in Israeli detention, but the agency said such prisoner rights' groups have recently documented conditions at the underground "Rakevet" section of Ramleh Prison where Gazan detainees recounted "torture, abuse, starvation and terror" they have allegedly faced at the hands of Israeli guards.
The total number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons is currently over 11,100, according to the agency, most of whom are held without facing charges or trial. Critics of the war have likened them to the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Hamas released its own statement Sunday condemning Israel for arresting academics, including female university students from Hebron University, in an operation Saturday night, calling it "systematic terrorism." Hamas called on human rights groups to document such incidents and submit them to courts like the ICC and ICJ with international jurisdiction.
The Quds News Network, a Palestinian youth news agency, reported Sunday that Israeli warplanes bombed a building at the Islamic University in Gaza on Sunday, killing and injuring civilians who were sheltering inside.
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