• About
  • Contact
Monday, October 13, 2025
The US Inquirer
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Home
  • National
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Crime
  • World
PRICING
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • National
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Crime
  • World
No Result
View All Result
The US Inquirer
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

Rubio says release of hostages from Gaza is “most emergent and immediate phase” of Trump peace plan

by Kaia Hubbard
October 5, 2025
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Rubio says release of hostages from Gaza is “most emergent and immediate phase” of Trump peace plan

RELATED POSTS

Trump hails “historic dawn of a new Middle East” in speech to Knesset

Government shutdown live updates as stalemate poised to begin third week

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that the release of hostages from Gaza is the “most emergent and immediate phase” of the peace plan that President Trump outlined last week, which negotiators are set to discuss this week in Cairo.

“Let’s discuss through the mediators the logistics and the mechanics behind how that happens, and that has to happen very quickly. That cannot drag on,” Rubio said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”

On Friday, Hamas agreed to parts of the peace proposal, including the release of all the Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that he has sent a delegation to Egypt “to finalize technical details,” outlining a goal to limit the negotiations to “a time frame of a few days.”

U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, are expected to represent the U.S. at talks in Egypt on Monday. Rubio said conversations are underway ahead of Monday’s meeting in Egypt, and he outlined that the talks should center on the logistics behind the release of the hostages.

“Beyond that is what happens after that, and that is, how do we ensure that we can create and help build a Gaza free of terrorism, free of Hamas, free of anything like Hamas,” Rubio said. “And that’s going to take work and some time not just to agree on, but to implement.”

Mr. Trump unveiled the plan last week, which called for Hamas to free all the remaining hostages and for the Israeli military to begin withdrawing from parts of Gaza in phases. The plan, backed by Netanyahu, also proposed handing over parts of Gaza to a “technocratic” Palestinian committee, along with deploying a temporary security force backed by Arab states.

Hamas on Friday agreed to release all hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The proposal specifically called for the group to release within 72 hours of an agreement the remaining hostages who were taken on Oct. 7, 2023. It also called on Israel to release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences, along with 1,700 other Gazans who were detained after the start of the conflict.

On the hostages, Rubio said the “expectation is that this happens quickly,” though he acknowledged that there are some logistical hurdles.

“Reality is, this is a war zone. I mean, this is a place that’s suffered a tremendous amount of destruction. That fighting needs to stop,” Rubio said. “You can’t release hostages while there’s still bombardments going on.”

Rubio outlined that he expects when an agreement is reached on the logistics of the hostage release, the bombardments will stop, adding that “some of that activity has already decreased somewhat.”

“We want to get the hostages out as soon as possible. For that to happen, there can’t be a war going on in the middle of it,” Rubio said. “And Hamas has to agree to turn them over. We have to have the right people go in and get them. That’s what we’re going to focus on right now.”

The secretary of state said “it’s going to be very important for our partners and region who signed on to this deal,” urging the leaders of countries including the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Jordan and Egypt to put “a lot of pressure on Hamas to make sure this happens as quickly as possible.”

Since Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and 251 were taken hostage, Israel and Hamas have been at war, as Israel has waged an intense aerial bombardment and ground campaign in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed. Israeli authorities say around 50 hostages are still in Gaza, fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive.

Beyond the hostage agreement, Hamas suggested Friday that other portions of the deal should be subject to negotiation, while Mr. Trump said he believes the group is “ready for a lasting PEACE.”

Rubio said setting up a civilian Palestinian leadership that “are not terrorists and aren’t sponsoring terrorism — that’s not going to happen in 72 hours.”

“It’s going to require a lot of work and a lot of international support, and that’s the end goal here of this entire endeavor after you get the hostages out,” he said.

Still, Rubio insisted that “for the first time in a long time, you see the framework and the output lines of something that could work.”

Crisis in the Middle East

More


Kaia Hubbard

Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.

Share6Tweet4Share1

Kaia Hubbard

Related Posts

Trump hails “historic dawn of a new Middle East” in speech to Knesset
Politics

Trump hails “historic dawn of a new Middle East” in speech to Knesset

October 13, 2025
Government shutdown live updates as stalemate poised to begin third week
Politics

Government shutdown live updates as stalemate poised to begin third week

October 13, 2025
Pain for federal workers as government shutdown continues
Politics

Pain for federal workers as government shutdown continues

October 12, 2025
Coffee chain executives on surging prices
Politics

Coffee chain executives on surging prices

October 12, 2025
Trump heads to the Middle East amid Gaza ceasefire
Politics

Trump heads to the Middle East amid Gaza ceasefire

October 12, 2025
Israel prepares for return of last Gaza hostages
Politics

Israel prepares for return of last Gaza hostages

October 12, 2025
Next Post
Trump administration sending California National Guard troops to Oregon

Trump administration sending California National Guard troops to Oregon

Full transcript of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Oct. 5, 2025

Full transcript of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Oct. 5, 2025

Recommended Stories

National civil rights museum beyond Trump’s immediate reach expanding

National civil rights museum beyond Trump’s immediate reach expanding

September 15, 2025
Trump announces second strike on alleged drug boat from Venezuela

Trump announces second strike on alleged drug boat from Venezuela

September 15, 2025
Voting kicks off in Virginia governor’s race — as Trump policies take center-stage

Voting kicks off in Virginia governor’s race — as Trump policies take center-stage

September 19, 2025

Popular Stories

  • DOJ publishes list of 35 “sanctuary” jurisdictions, vowing more lawsuits

    DOJ publishes list of 35 “sanctuary” jurisdictions, vowing more lawsuits

    15 shares
    Share 6 Tweet 4
  • Labor Dept watchdog launches probe into the Bureau of Labor Statistics

    15 shares
    Share 6 Tweet 4
  • Israel prepares for return of last Gaza hostages

    15 shares
    Share 6 Tweet 4
  • Trump heads to the Middle East amid Gaza ceasefire

    15 shares
    Share 6 Tweet 4
  • Trump unveils deal for AstraZeneca to cut Medicaid drug prices and join “TrumpRx” site

    15 shares
    Share 6 Tweet 4
The US Inquirer

© 2023 The US Inquirer

Navigate Site

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Ethics
  • Fact Checking and Corrections Policies
  • Copyright
  • Privacy Policy
  • ISSN: 2832-0522

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • National
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Crime
  • World

© 2023 The US Inquirer

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?