WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi discussed regional issues Monday, the State Department said.

"They discussed the state of the region, including the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the need to secure the release of all hostages, efforts to sustain assistance flows into Gaza, Syria’s political future, and the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon," spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement.

More than 48,300 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 111,000 injured in a brutal Israeli war on Gaza since October 2023. The onslaught, which left the enclave in ruins, was paused under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold on Jan. 19.

Israel, however, halted the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza on Sunday, hours after the first phase of the ceasefire agreement expired.

Rubio also exchanged views on "the importance of permanently ending unlawful" attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways, Bruce said.

"The Secretary expressed his thanks for Oman’s critical and timely facilitation of the release of the MV Galaxy Leader crew, whom the Houthis had illegally detained for more than a year," she added.