Trump Did Not Send Rubio to Israel, Says Wall Street Journal

U.S. President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not travel to Israel at the direction of the administration. They went on their own initiative, according to the Wall Street Journal.

“Two senior U.S. officials said that Trump did not send his senior advisors to Israel. Rubio and other senior officials from the administration coordinated their visits themselves,” the newspaper reports.

Israeli media have humorously dubbed the frequent visits as “Bibisitting” (a play on the English word “babysitting”), referencing the almost 24-hour surveillance by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is often referred to as “Bibi.”

American officials are urging Prime Minister Netanyahu to limit retaliatory actions against Hamas to avoid violating the ceasefire, while his political allies insist on continuing military operations.