US top official rushes Hamas to accept ceasefire as Israel steps up Gaza strikes “We have a very short window of time”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that only a narrow window remains to reach a ceasefire with Hamas, as Israel steps up its military campaign in Gaza.

“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 said, Caliber.Az writes via Arab media.

Rubio traveled to Qatar on September 16 to urge the Gulf state to continue its role as mediator in Gaza, seeking to reassure Doha a week after Israeli airstrikes targeted Hamas leaders there.

Heading to Qatar from Israel, which carried out major new strikes in Gaza overnight on September 15–16, Rubio struck a pessimistic tone about the chances of a ceasefire deal but stressed Qatar’s unique role.

“We’re going to ask Qatar to continue to do what they’ve done, and we appreciate very much, and that is, play a constructive role in trying to bring this to an end,” Rubio told reporters as he departed from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport.

“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,” he added.

Rubio also said Washington would continue working with Qatar to finalise a defence agreement despite Israel’s ongoing military actions. He reiterated that Hamas had only days to accept a ceasefire deal, as Israel intensified bombardments on Gaza City.

By Khagan Isayev