State Department

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Israel this weekend, the State Department announced Friday, in a visit unfolding at a tense moment in the region. The trip comes in the wake of an Israeli airstrike in Qatar targeting Hamas officials, which has stirred diplomatic friction among Washington’s regional partners. 

Rubio’s engagement is intended to reaffirm U.S. support for Israeli security, address shared concerns over regional stability, and push back against moves toward unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state that might be seen as rewarding terrorism. He is expected to arrive in Israel Saturday, and times have not …