During a joint news conference with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US secretary of state Marco Rubio reiterated that Hamas “cannot exist as an armed element that threatens the peace and security, not just of Israel but of the world”. Rubio’s visit to Israel comes amid tensions with fellow US allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar. But at the news conference with Rubio, Netanyahu has refused to rule out further strikes against Hamas members. n18oc_world n18oc_crux