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Qatar only country able to mediate on Gaza, Hamas has only days to accept deal, says Rubio
Rubio met with Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, giving his backing to the Israeli Prime Minister's new offensive in Gaza City
- PUBLISHED: Tue 16 Sept 2025, 8:37 AM
- By:
- AFP
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that only Qatar had the ability to mediate in Gaza, despite an Israeli strike on Hamas in the Gulf country a week ago.
"Obviously they have to decide if they want to do that after last week or not, but we want them to know that if there's any country in the world that could help end this through a negotiation it's Qatar," Rubio told reporters as he flew to Doha from Israel.
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Rubio also warned that Hamas had only days to accept a ceasefire deal, as Israel bombarded Gaza City.
"The Israelis have begun to take operations there. So we think we have a very short window of time in which a deal can happen. We don't have months anymore, and we probably have days and maybe a few weeks to go," Rubio told reporters.
"Our number one choice is that this ends through a negotiated settlement where Hamas says, 'We're going to demilitarise, we're no longer going to pose a threat,'" Rubio said.
"Sometimes when you're dealing with a group of savages like Hamas, that's not possible, but we hope it can happen," Rubio said.
Rubio met with Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, giving his backing to the Israeli Prime Minister's new offensive in Gaza City and its stated goal of eradicating Hamas.
Witnesses later told AFP that the city was under heavy bombardment.