U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens as he speaks to media at Ben Gurion International Airport, as he departs Tel Aviv for Qatar following an official visit, near Lod, Israel, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. (Nathan Howard/Pool Photo via AP)
"We think Qatar can play a very key role in that. So, we’re going there. We have a close partnership with the Qataris," Rubio said before adding, "In fact, we have an enhanced defense cooperation agreement, which we’ve been working on and we’re on the verge of finalizing."
RUBIO SAYS ISRAEL STRIKE ON SYRIAN MILITARY HEADQUARTERS ‘LIKELY A MISUNDERSTANDING’
Rubio said that if any country in the world could mediate an agreement between Israel and Hamas, "Qatar is the one."
Smoke rises from an explosion, allegedly caused by an Israeli strike, in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (UGC via AP)
The secretary warned that the window for diplomacy with Hamas was narrowing, saying, "We don’t have months anymore … We probably have days, maybe a few weeks."
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"So, it’s a key moment – an important moment," Rubio said. "And again, our preference, our number one choice, is that this ends through a negotiated summit where Hamas says, ‘We’re going to demilitarize. We’re no longer going to pose this threat. We’re going to disband. We’re going to release every single hostage.’"
Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rubio-says-us-qatar-verge-finalizing-defense-cooperation-agreement