US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on 16 September, that the US and Qatar are nearing a final defense cooperation agreement. The announcement follows a recent Israeli strike in Doha that targeted Hamas political leaders, an attack that Qatar called “cowardly and treacherous.” The Qatari government stated that the incident “expedites the need” for a renewed defense pact. Despite the tension, Rubio urged Qatar to continue its role as a key mediator in the Gaza ceasefire talks, emphasizing a “very short window of time” for a deal to be reached as Israel has launched an intensive ground offensive into Gaza City.