Rubio: Hamas Has ‘Accepted’ Entire Trump ‘Construct’ For Releasing Hostages

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Sunday that President Donald J. Trump’s comprehensive framework for peace in Gaza — including the release of all remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas — has been accepted by the terrorist organization.

Rubio made the announcement during an interview with Fox News Sunday guest host Gillian Turner, where he detailed the breakthrough and its implications for stability in the region.

“On Monday, President Trump gave Hamas a deadline of 6 p.m. tonight to accept all 20 points of his proposed plan. Then Friday, Hamas came forward and said well, we accept one. Are you concerned at all that this is a play for more time? A stalling tactic?” Turner asked.

Rubio pushed back, clarifying that Hamas has, in fact, accepted the overall structure of President Trump’s plan.

“I don’t think that’s an accurate, a fairly inaccurate description of what’s happened here,” Rubio said. “Two, the way to think about this is two-fold. Number one, is Hamas has accepted the entire construct of President Trump’s proposal for releasing the hostages. That’s number one, ok. Forty-eight, twenty that are alive, twenty-eight that are deceased.”

Rubio explained that ongoing discussions are focused on finalizing logistics such as the timing, coordination, and supervision of the release.

“There is talks ongoing which will hopefully be finalized very quickly on the logistics of that. You know, who’s going to go in, what time are they gonna be released, how’s all that going to work,” he said.

He also stressed that the next phase — determining who governs Gaza — will be far more challenging, emphasizing that Hamas must not retain control.

“The second part of this, and it’s gonna be a much tougher part of it is, what happens after that. Whose gonna run Gaza moving forward? It can’t be Hamas, it can’t be a terrorist organization,” Rubio added.

The Secretary underscored that expelling terrorists from Gaza is central to achieving lasting peace.

“Ultimately, that is what permanent peace is going to be dependent upon, and that is that Gaza is no longer controlled by a terrorist organization like Hamas,” he said. “The top priority first and foremost is all forty-eight hostages being released as soon as possible.”

Turner noted that the plan could be difficult for Israel to accept, given that it may involve concessions to secure the hostages’ freedom. Rubio acknowledged that such negotiations are never even-handed but reflect the high value Israel places on human life.

“As unfair, as unjust and as unbalanced as a deal like that may be, that is how important life is to them,” Rubio said.

He credited President Trump’s leadership for making the deal possible.

“And it all happened because President Trump put that on the table and built this international coalition, including Arab and Islamic countries. Without him putting that together, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation right now,” he added.

Rubio Blasts Venezuelan Dictator Maduro

Rubio also addressed Venezuela’s ongoing political crisis, sharply criticizing dictator Nicolás Maduro as the country held municipal elections viewed as illegitimate by the U.S. and global observers.

“One year since dictator Nicolás Maduro defied the will of the Venezuelan people by baselessly declaring himself the winner, the United States remains firm in its unwavering support to Venezuela’s restoration of democratic order and justice,” Rubio said in a statement.

“Maduro is not the President of Venezuela and his regime is not the legitimate government,” he added.

The Trump administration has intensified pressure on Maduro, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently accusing the regime of “supporting terrorism against the United States.” President Trump has also ordered the U.S. military to destroy Venezuelan vessels involved in narcotics trafficking bound for the U.S.

Rubio reaffirmed that the administration’s stance toward authoritarian regimes remains unyielding, both in Latin America and the Middle East — combining diplomatic strength with clear moral leadership.