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WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that “breakthrough achievements” may be imminent to end the war in the Gaza Strip and secure the release of hostages.

“I have some level of optimism that we may have breakthrough achievements here pretty quickly -- hopefully on an end to this and the release of all the hostages,” Rubio told lawmakers during a hearing on the State Department’s 2026 budget request before the House Appropriations Subcommittee.

Rubio cautioned that past efforts had raised similar hopes but failed to materialize.

“I have felt that way now at least four separate times in the last couple of months, and for one reason or another, at the last minute -- didn’t happen. And so, I don’t want to be disappointed on it again,” he said. “But I want you to know there are efforts ongoing to both provide more humanitarian assistance and bring about the end of this conflict.”

“I think ultimately, we would like to see is for this to end, for all the hostages to come home, all of them, including those who are deceased, but have that closure -- and we’re committed to that as well,” he added.

Rubio said the US is working closely with Israel to ensure additional humanitarian aid reaches Gaza.

Israel abandoned a ceasefire with Hamas in March, two months after it took effect, and has intensified its offensive in Gaza in recent days, expanding ground operations and carrying out massive airstrikes. The military campaign, which began after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, has killed nearly 53,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children.​​​​​​��

Since March 2, Israel has kept Gaza’s crossings closed to food, medical and humanitarian aid, worsening an already dire crisis in the enclave. On Monday, a limited amount of aid was allowed in — a delivery the UN described as “a drop in the ocean.”