Rubio arrives in Israel on first Middle East tour

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel late Saturday on the first leg of a Middle East tour.

Rubio landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and is due to hold talks with Israeli officials on Sunday. The meeting will highlight President Trump's proposal to take control of the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by more than 15 months of war between Hamas and Israel.

The top US diplomat is also set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the Israel's defence ministry said Sunday that a shipment of "heavy" US-made bombs arrived overnight in Israel.

The munitions shipment represents a significant asset for the air force and the Israel Defense Forces and serves as further evidence of the strong alliance between Israel and the United States," the Defense Minister said in the statement. The Trump administration had earlier in February approved the sale of more than $7.4 billion in bombs, missiles and related equipment to Israel.