Israeli strike didn’t violate ceasefire, says Rubio

An Israeli airstrike on Gaza over the weekend did not breach the ceasefire agreement mediated by the United States, Bloomberg writes, referring to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“Israel has not relinquished its right to self-defense,” Rubio stated.

The Israeli military said the target of the strike was a member of the Islamic Jihad group which was allegedly planning an attack against Israeli forces. The armed group denied the claim, calling it “simply a false accusation.”

Rubio, who recently visited a U.S.-led command center in southern Israel designed to support the implementation of the peace agreement, emphasized that “the ceasefire is based on obligations from both sides.”

“We do not consider this a violation of the ceasefire. Israel has the right to act if there is an immediate threat, and all mediators agree with this,” Rubio said.