US secretary of state, Israeli premier hold another call as Gaza offensive escalates

By Gizem Nisa Cebi

ISTANBUL (AA) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held another phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, as Israel intensified its military campaign in Gaza.

The call, their second in just three days, was made from Rome, where Rubio is attending the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV, focused on the ongoing war in Gaza and efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

"They discussed the situation in Gaza and their joint efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a brief readout.

Israel’s intensified offensive comes amid growing international concern over worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, where it has blocked all aid entries since March 2.

Israel, abandoning the Jan. 19 ceasefire agreement with Hamas, resumed strikes on March 18. The overall death toll since October 2023 has risen to more than 53,000.

On Saturday, in a pre-recorded interview with CBS set to air Sunday, Rubio reiterated calls for a halt to the fighting.

"We want this conflict to end. We support a ceasefire. We don’t want people to suffer the way they have, and we blame Hamas for that, but suffering continues," he said.

"We are actively engaged, even as we speak, in trying to establish a mechanism for the release of additional hostages, possibly through a truce."

US President Donald Trump, speaking Friday in Abu Dhabi, also acknowledged the dire humanitarian crisis, saying "a lot of people are starving" in Gaza.