U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in the occupied Palestinian territories on Saturday evening, marking the first stop in his tour that includes Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Israeli broadcasting authorities reported that Rubio’s visit will focus on the necessity of initiating the second phase of the Gaza deal negotiations.

He is also expected to discuss President Donald Trump’s proposal for controlling Gaza after a war that lasted more than 15 months.

The visit coincides with Hamas releasing three Israeli hostages, while the Israeli occupation released approximately 369 Palestinian prisoners amid efforts by Egyptian and Qatari mediators to avoid the collapse of the ceasefire agreement.