Rubio arrives in Israel as Israeli strikes intensify in northern Gaza : NPR

JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Sunday, as Israel intensified its assaults in opposition to northern Gaza, flattening one other high-rise constructing and killing at the very least 12 Palestinians.

Rubio mentioned forward of the journey that he will likely be looking for solutions from Israeli officers about how they see the best way ahead in Gaza following Israel’s assault on Hamas operatives in Qatar final week that upended efforts to dealer an finish to the battle.

His two-day go to can be a present of assist for the more and more remoted Israel because the United Nations holds what is anticipated to be a contentious debate on dedication to the creation of a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly opposes the popularity of a Palestinian state.

Rubio’s go to went forward regardless of President Donald Trump’s anger at Netanyahu over the Israeli strike in opposition to Hamas leaders in Doha, which he mentioned the USA was not notified of beforehand.

On Friday, Rubio and Trump met with Qatar’s prime minister to debate the fallout from the Israeli operation. The twin, back-to-back conferences with Israel and Qatar illustrate how Trump administration is attempting to steadiness relations between key Center East allies regardless of the assault’s widespread worldwide condemnation.

The Doha assault additionally and seems to have ended makes an attempt to safe an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and the discharge of hostages forward of the upcoming U.N. Normal Meeting session, at which the Gaza battle is anticipated to be a main focus.

On Sunday, at the very least 13 Palestinians had been killed and dozens had been wounded in a number of Israeli strikes throughout Gaza, in response to native hospitals.

Native hospitals mentioned Israeli strikes focused a automobile close to Shifa hospital and a roundabout in Gaza Metropolis, and a tent within the metropolis of Deir al-Balah that killed at the very least six members of the identical household.

Two mother and father, their three kids and the kids’s aunt had been killed in that strike, in response to the Al-Aqsa hospital. The household was from the northern city of Beit Hanoun, and arrived in Deir al-Balah final week after fleeing their shelter in Gaza Metropolis

The Israeli army didn’t have quick touch upon the strikes.

Smoke rises after an Israeli army strike on a constructing in Gaza Metropolis, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.

Yousef Al Zanoun/AP

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Yousef Al Zanoun/AP

As a part of its increasing operation in Gaza Metropolis, the Israeli army destroyed a high-rise residential constructing on Sunday morning, lower than an hour after an evacuation order posted on-line by the army spokesman Avichay Adraee.

Residents mentioned mentioned the Kauther tower within the Rimal neighborhood was flattened to the bottom. There have been no quick studies of casualties.

“This a part of the genocidal measures the (Israeli) occupation is finishing up in Gaza Metropolis,” mentioned Abed Ismail, a Gaza Metropolis resident. “They wish to flip the entire metropolis into rubble, and power the switch and one other Nakba.”

Israeli strongly denies accusations of genocide in Gaza.

Individually, two Palestinian adults died of causes associated to malnutrition and hunger within the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, the territory’s well being ministry reported Sunday.

That has introduced the loss of life toll from malnutrition-related causes to 277 since late June, when the ministry began to depend fatalities amongst this age class, whereas one other 145 kids died of malnutrition-related causes because the begin of the battle in October 2023, the ministry mentioned.

The battle in Gaza started when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, abducting 251 folks and killing some 1,200, principally civilians. There are nonetheless 48 hostages remaining in Gaza, of whom 20 Israel believes are nonetheless alive.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at the very least 64,803 Palestinians, in response to Gaza’s Well being Ministry, which doesn’t say what number of had been civilians or combatants. It says round half of these killed had been girls and youngsters. Giant components of main cities have been utterly destroyed and round 90% of some 2 million Palestinians have been displaced.