Rubio heads to Israel as tensions simmer with Qatar
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Jerusalem Sunday for a visit aimed at lowering tensions between Israel and Qatar.
Israel’s airstrike last week targeting Hamas officials living in Doha on Tuesday united Gulf states in condemnation; the US and its allies had previously assumed Qatar, which has played a mediator role in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, would be off-limits in the war.
Doha has pledged a “collective” response, and Qatar’s prime minister met Rubio and US President Donald Trump in New York on Friday.
Washington has signaled its displeasure over the attack, but Israel’s leaders appear undeterred: Israeli forces ramped up strikes on Gaza City on Sunday, and a ceasefire seems ever more distant.— Claire Cameron
