Rubio says he is hopeful for Gaza ceasefire in ‘near future’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said he is hopeful a Gaza ceasefire will be realised in the “near future” but said challenges remain and blamed Hamas for the process dragging on. “Hamas basically wants Israel to withdraw completely and allow them to go back to being Hamas. Obviously, the Israelis aren’t going to agree to that,” Mr Rubio told reporters during a visit to Malaysia. “One of the fundamental challenges is Hamas’s unwillingness to disarm.” Despite this “sticking point”, Mr Rubio said he is hopeful that Israel and Hamas will move to indirect talks.