Rubio: Our Dispute with Israel Over the Qatar Attack "Will Not Change American Support"

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the disagreement with Tel Aviv regarding the recent Israeli airstrike on the Qatari capital, Doha, will not affect the nature of the strategic relationship between Washington and Israel.

Rubio told reporters before heading to Israel on Saturday: "Of course, we are not happy with what happened, but that will not change the nature of our relationship with Israel. We will have to talk about it and its impact, especially on diplomatic efforts," according to what was reported by the French Press Agency.

This statement comes before Rubio's scheduled visit to Israel on Sunday, where he is expected to discuss with Israeli officials the repercussions of the airstrike on a complex in Doha that included leaders from Hamas who gathered to discuss a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange.

This coincided with a meeting held by U.S. President Donald Trump in New York on Friday evening with the Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. The Deputy Head of the Qatari Mission in Washington, Hamad Al-Muftah, described the meeting on the "X" platform as "great".

According to informed sources, the meeting lasted about two hours and discussed several files, in an atmosphere described as "very positive". U.S. envoy Steve Wittkoff also attended the meeting.

The Israeli attack on Doha sparked angry reactions both Arab and international, especially since Qatar plays a key mediating role in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas. Trump himself criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he is "not happy" with the operation.

For his part, the Qatari Prime Minister considered that Netanyahu "should be brought to justice," affirming that the airstrike "destroyed any hope" of completing a deal for the release of hostages. Meanwhile, the Qatari Foreign Ministry described the operation as a "treacherous attack consistent with state terrorism".