The United States finalizes the Qatar Defense Agreement while the Gaza crisis intensifies mediation talks

Secretary of State Marco Rubio early Tuesday on Tuesday that the United States and Qatar were about to finalize a defense cooperation agreement when he supervised the Middle East ally as the “only country in the world” positioned to mediate between Israel and Hamas.

The secretary’s comments came when he left Jerusalem, where he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The meeting took place in the context of Israel’s air strikes on Hamas leaders in Qatar last week, as well as its intensifying bombing of Gaza City.

Rubio, who is now going to Qatar for a quick visit, recognized Doha’s anger at the Israeli air strikes, saying to Fox News during an exclusive interview in Jerusalem: “We understand that they are not satisfied with what happened.”

Addressing journalists, Rubio reaffirmed the American commitment to Qatar as an ally, saying that Doha can play a “key role” to ensure that the Hamas terrorist group is “disarmed as a threat”.

Exclusive: Rubio says that the American-Israeli alliance remains firm as it goes to Qatar in the middle of the counterou on Doha

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens to the media at Ben Gurion International Airport, as he leaves Tel Aviv for Qatar after an official visit, near Lod, Israel, on Tuesday, September 16, 2025. (Nathan Howard / Pool Photo via AP)

“We think that Qatar can play a very key role on this subject. So we go there. We have a close partnership with the Qataris,” said Rubio before adding, “we have an improved defense cooperation agreement, on which we have worked and we are about to finalize.”

Rubio says that Israel strikes the Syrian military seat “probably a misunderstanding”

Rubio said that if a country of the world could mediate between Israel and Hamas, “Qatar is this one”.

Journalists raised their hands while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hold a joint press conference at the Prime Minister’s office during the visit to Rubio, Jerusalem on Monday, September 15, 2025. (Nathan Howard / Pool Photo via AP)

“They are the ones who can do it. Now I don’t know if they can after what happened, but I think they could. If someone can, they can. There are no other countries in the world that can play this role. And we hope they can,” said Rubio.

The smoke rises from an explosion, allegedly caused by an Israeli strike in Doha, in Qatar, on Tuesday September 9, 2025. (UGC via AP)

The secretary warned that the window of diplomacy with Hamas is shrinking, saying: “We have no more months … We probably have days, maybe a few weeks.”

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“So it’s a key moment – an important moment,” said Rubio. “And again, our preference, our number one choice, is that it ends with a negotiated summit where Hamas says:” We are going to move. We will no longer constitute this threat. We will dissolve. We are going to release each hostage.