The U.S. will not follow Europe’s lead in recognizing Palestine as a state, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In a recent interview with CBS, Rubio stated that granting Palestinian statehood is “not even a realistic thing right now,” citing the question of who would govern such a state. “Because who would govern that Palestinian state, Hamas?” he asked.
Rubio’s comments come amid ongoing debates over the Trump administration’s 20-point plan to end the Gaza war, which includes a pathway to Palestinian statehood under a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA). However, Hamas currently controls Gaza, while the PA holds partial authority in the West Bank. Last month, Canada, Australia, France, and the UK recognized Palestine as a state, a symbolic move that adds to the 157 UN member states already acknowledging Palestinian sovereignty.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes the recognition effort, while former President Donald Trump criticized it at the UN General Assembly, calling it a gesture that “rewards” Hamas. Rubio suggested that a group of Palestinian “technocrats” might govern Gaza, but only after all remaining Israeli hostages—28 of whom have died and 20 still held—are released.
Hamas recently agreed to exchange 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees for the remaining Israeli hostages but expressed reservations about other aspects of Trump’s peace plan, including ceding control of Gaza. The BBC noted that Palestine’s status remains a “quasi-state,” with international recognition but no defined borders, capital, or military. Despite its lack of full sovereignty, recognition carries symbolic weight, as seen in statements from figures like former UK foreign secretary David Lammy, who emphasized Britain’s responsibility to support the two-state solution.
