A US State Department official said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit the Middle East for a few days starting next week, his second trip as head of the State Department, to follow up on US President Donald Trump's proposal to take control of the Gaza Strip.

The official confirmed late Thursday that Rubio will visit Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia between February 13 and 18, after attending the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

While a specific itinerary has not yet been announced, Rubio's impending visit to the Middle East comes at a pivotal time in foreign policy, as Israel and Hamas implement a three-phase ceasefire agreement after 16 months of Israeli war on Gaza.

It is noteworthy that during a joint press conference in the Dominican Republic with President Luis Abinader on Thursday, Rubio said that President Donald Trump offered to be part of the solution to rebuild Gaza.

Trump suggested on Tuesday during his press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States take control of the Gaza Strip in order to rehabilitate the area into a livable place as much of the area has been destroyed and millions displaced.

White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt told reporters on Wednesday that under Trump's proposal, Palestinians would be moved "temporarily" in order to successfully settle the land and rebuild.

The US official said that Rubio will discuss during the tour the situation in Gaza and the repercussions of the attacks launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023, on Israel, and will continue Trump's approach in trying to resolve the current situation in the region.

“The status quo cannot continue,” the official continued. “It’s like wash, rinse, repeat. It becomes habitual and you start to believe that this is life and what we should expect. President Trump and Marco Rubio believe that this is not the case and that things can change.”