US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would provide "unwavering support" to Israel in the war on Gaza as he called for the eradication of Hamas during a visit to the US ally on Monday.
"The people of Gaza deserve a better future, but that better future cannot begin until Hamas is eliminated," Rubio told reporters next to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"You can count on our unwavering support and commitment to see come to fruition."
Netanyahu said Rubio's visit was a "clear message" that the United States stood with Israel and praised President Donald Trump for his backing, calling him the "greatest friend that Israel has ever had".
On Monday, Rubio said plans by Western nations to recognise a Palestinian state "emboldened" Hamas.
"They're largely symbolic, they have really no impact whatsoever about bringing us any closer to a Palestinian state. The only impact they actually have is it makes Hamas feel more emboldened," he said.
Rubio had said he would speak to Netanyahu about Israeli plans to occupy Gaza City, the largest urban centre in the devastated territory, as well as the government's talk of annexing parts of the occupied West Bank in hopes of precluding a Palestinian state.
Rubio said Trump wants the Gaza war to be "finished with", which would mean the release of captives and ensuring Hamas is "no longer a threat".
But talks were made more difficult last week when the Trump administration was caught off guard by an Israeli attack in Qatar against Hamas leaders who were meeting to discuss a new US ceasefire proposal for Gaza.
Trump, for years a fervent defender of Netanyahu, on Sunday again voiced support for Qatar, which is home to the largest US air base in the region and has assiduously courted the US president, including by gifting a luxury jet.
"Qatar has been a very great ally. Israel and everyone else, we have to be careful. When we attack people we have to be careful," said Trump.
Qatar has, along with Egypt and the United States, led mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas.
But the United States has not joined European powers in pressing Israel to end the offensive, who fear it will aggravate the already severe humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, where most of its 2.4 million people have been displaced at least once since the outbreak of the war.
Despite the objections over the Qatar strike, Rubio opened the visit on Sunday with a highly symbolic show of support as he joined Netanyahu at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews are allowed to pray.
With Rubio at his side, Netanyahu said the Israel-US alliance has "never been stronger".
Controversial tunnel
Rubio, a devout Catholic, later posted that his visit showed his belief that Jerusalem is the "eternal capital" of Israel.
Until Trump's first term, US leaders had shied away from such overt statements backing Israeli sovereignty over contested Jerusalem, which is also holy to Muslims and Christians.
Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, in a sharp break with most of the world.
Rubio is expected to attend the inauguration of a tunnel for religious tourists on Monday, which goes underneath the Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan to the holy sites.
The project has stirred fears among Palestinian residents that it could further dilute their presence, allowing Israelis to bypass Palestinians and possibly putting at risk the physical foundations of their homes.
Rubio played down the political implications, calling it "one of the most important archaeological sites in the world".