Rubio held a closed-door meeting with the Emir of Qatar at the Emiri Diwan, which lasted less than an hour, before leaving Doha.
This visit came after the emergency Arab-Islamic summit held in Doha, which called on countries to review their relations with Israel in light of the latter's unprecedented airstrikes on Qatar.
Rubio departed for Doha from Israel, which has been carrying out a heavy bombardment of the Gaza Strip. He expressed pessimism about the possibility of reaching a ceasefire agreement, but emphasized that Qatar remains the only country capable of contributing to ending the war.
Upon his departure from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Rubio told reporters that the United States asks Qatar to continue its efforts, stressing Washington's appreciation for Doha's constructive role in ending the conflict.
He added that the decision to pursue mediation rests with Qatar, but stressed that Qatar is the only country capable of helping reach a negotiated settlement.
Rubio affirmed that the United States will continue working with Qatar to reach a defense agreement between the two countries in the near future.
For its part, the Gulf Cooperation Council, during the closing press conference of the emergency summit, called on the United States to use its influence to curb Israeli aggression.
In Washington, US President Donald Trump said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "will not strike Qatar" again, while in Israel, Rubio merely noted the importance of looking to the future after the strike, without directly praising Qatar's role.
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In a related context, the United Nations condemned the Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar, considering it a threat to regional peace and stability.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stressed that the attack threatens stability, calling for those responsible for the extrajudicial killings to be held accountable.
For its part, the US State Department, through its spokesman, Tommy Piggott, confirmed that Rubio reiterated the United States' full support for Qatar's security and sovereignty following the Israeli attack on Doha.
This visit comes amid Qatar's pivotal role in diplomatic efforts to end the nearly two-year-old war in the Gaza Strip. Doha has hosted Hamas's political bureau since 2012 with the approval of Washington, which seeks to maintain channels of communication with the movement.
During his visit to Israel, Rubio pledged continued "unwavering" US support for the Jewish state to achieve its goals in Gaza, calling for the elimination of Hamas. He said the time available to reach a ceasefire agreement is very limited, potentially lasting only a few days or weeks.
It's worth noting that the Israeli occupation army launched an airstrike on Hamas's headquarters in Doha on September 9. Qatar condemned the attack, which it deemed an act of aggression requiring a response. Meanwhile, Hamas announced that its negotiating delegation survived the assassination attempt, which resulted in the deaths of Jihad Labad, the head of the movement's leadership, and his son, Humam al-Hayya, along with three of their companions.
