Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Jerusalem on Sunday, at the start of a five-day trip to Israel and the U.K.

Rubio began the visit with prayers at the Western Wall, together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.

During a tour of the Western Wall Tunnels, Netanyahu called Rubio an “extraordinary friend of the State of Israel.”

“The Israeli-American alliance,” Netanyahu said, “is as strong and as durable as the stones of the Western Wall that we just touched. Under President [Donald] Trump and Secretary Rubio and their entire team, this alliance has never been stronger, and we deeply appreciate it.”

Rubio is expected to attend on Monday the inauguration of an ancient tunnel connecting the City of David archeological park to Jerusalem’s Old City. The tunnel is said to be the road pilgrims took to the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. 

Rubio’s visit comes days after Israel’s attempted strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar last week, which the secretary said he was “not happy” about. 

“Now we need to move forward and figure out what comes next,” he told reporters on Saturday.

Before taking off for Israel, Rubio posted on X that the focus of the trip “will be on securing the return of hostages, finding ways to make sure humanitarian aid reaches civilians, and addressing the threat posed by Hamas. Hamas cannot continue to exist if peace in the region is the goal.”

The State Department said that Rubio plans to “convey America’s priorities in the Israel-Hamas conflict and broader issues concerning Middle Eastern security, reaffirming U.S. commitment to Israeli security.”

Rubio and Israeli leaders are expected to discuss Operation Gideon’s Chariots II, as Israel has called its coming invasion of Gaza City, which it has been preparing for by evacuating an estimated 300,000 residents and bombing buildings with terrorist targets inside.

The secretary of state’s visit is taking place amid a push within Netanyahu’s coalition for Israel to annex parts of the West Bank in response to the announcement by a dozen countries, led by France, that they would unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state this month.

The State Department said Rubio’s agenda for the visit includes discussing ways to push back against recognition of a Palestinian state, as well as the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice cases against Israel.

Rubio is expected to hold further meetings with Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar.

The secretary of state is also expected to meet with families of hostages being held in Gaza.