US condemns allies' sanctions on Israeli cabinet members: Rubio

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday condemned new sanctions some of the United States' allies imposed on two Israeli cabinet members, stating the actions did not advance U.S. efforts to secure a peace deal between Israel and Hamas.

The governments of Australia, Canada, Norway, New Zealand and the United Kingdom announced the sanctions on Tuesday against rightwing Israeli cabinet members who they accused of inciting violence against Palestinians in Gaza.

Rubio rejected the sanctions, stating there was no equivalence between the cabinet members and Hamas, stating that one is a terrorist organization that has captured Israeli citizens. 

"The United States condemns the sanctions imposed by the governments of United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia on two sitting members of the Israeli cabinet," Rubio said in a post on X. "These sanctions do not advance U.S.-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war.

"We reject any notion of equivalence: Hamas is a terrorist organization that committed unspeakable atrocities, continues to hold innocent civilians hostage, and prevents the people of Gaza from living in peace," he continued. "We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is."

Rubio added that the nations should reverse the sanctions in order to stand "shoulder-to-shoulder" with Israel instead. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.