US, Kuwait discuss efforts to end Israel's war on Gaza

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Monday with Kuwait's First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah to discuss efforts to end the war in Gaza and deepen bilateral cooperation, according to the State Department.

Rubio and Al-Sabah, meeting at department headquarters in Washington, DC, also addressed what the department described as a "unique moment to free the hostages and end the war in Gaza."

The two officials "discussed advancing the security and economic partnership between our two countries," department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

Both sides reaffirmed the "enduring strategic partnership" between the US and Kuwait and their shared commitment to promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, he added.

On Sept. 29, Trump unveiled a 20-point plan which includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and the rebuilding of Gaza.

The Israeli military has killed over 67,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave all but uninhabitable and has led to mass displacement, starvation, and the spread of disease.