Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday there are “promising signs” of progress toward a deal that would require Hamas to demilitarize, calling it a non-negotiable condition for any lasting agreement in Gaza.
In an interview with Fox News, Rubio stated:
“There have been some promising signs over the weekend that we are getting closer to an agreement regarding their demilitarization… We are hopeful that in the coming days we can have good news about it.”
He confirmed that Egypt and Turkey are actively involved in the mediation process and stressed that demilitarization is the central pillar of the U.S.-brokered framework.
“This whole project only works if Hamas is demilitarized. Until that happens, everything is in question.”
Rubio declined to say whether the United States would back a return to major Israeli military operations if no agreement is reached, only noting:
“Let’s hope we can avoid that. It’s not the outcome we want.”
The comments come after the U.S. held its first direct talks with Hamas since the October 2025 ceasefire, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.
