In a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the Palestinian resistance group Hamas cannot continue to exist as a military or governmental force. He emphasized that former President Donald Trump’s stance on Hamas is clear— they must be eliminated entirely. Rubio also accused Iran of being the primary instigator of instability in the Middle East, stating that Tehran supports both Hamas and Hezbollah. He further blamed Iran for the unrest in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank. Netanyahu, in response, called Trump the greatest friend of Israel in the White House.