'Time is running out for Gaza': Rubio as Israel goes for ground control of City

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that “time is running out” to bring peace in Gaza through a negotiated deal between Israel and Hamas as he held meetings in Qatar, the chief negotiator country.

His comments came amid Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza , which the country has defended to bring an end to Hamas’ hold in the city. However, it is unclear whether Rubio was aware that Israel had launched a full military offensive in the region during his visit to Qatar.

“We don’t have months anymore, and we probably have days and maybe a few weeks to reach a deal that would stop the fighting and free hostages held by Hamas," Rubio said.

Rubio’s trip to West Asia took place during a diplomatic firestorm surrounding Israel’s new offensive, which had already faced strong criticism from key European and Arab nations even before it began. On Tuesday, he also had to address Qatar’s response to a September 9 Israeli airstrike that targeted Hamas officials within its territory.

What did Rubio discuss with the Emir?

During his visit, the State Secretary met Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who accused Israel of “sabotaging” a possible ceasefire deal that would have seen the release of hostages.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said that Rubio “reaffirmed the strong bilateral relationship between the United States and Qatar, and thanked Qatar for its efforts to end the war in Gaza and bring all hostages home,” and “reiterated America’s strong support for Qatar’s security and sovereignty, and discussed our shared commitment to a safer, more stable region.”

Rubio had earlier said he would “ask Qatar to continue to do what they’ve done” adding that “if there’s any country in the world that could help end this through a negotiation, it’s Qatar”

Israel launches ground offensive

Israel on Tuesday announced a full-scale ground invasion to occupy Gaza City.

The Israeli media reported Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that Israel had “launched a powerful operation in Gaza City”. He dubbed it as a “decisive” turning point in the war in the Gaza Strip. Separately, the Israeli military said in Arabic that it had “begun destroying Hamas infrastructure in Gaza City”.

The Israeli military has told around 1 million Palestinians sheltering in Gaza City to leave. It has been said that around 350,000 of them have already left, with 250,000 of them leaving in recent days since Israel ramped up bombardment of the city.

With inputs from agencies