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Secretary of State Marco Rubio early Tuesday said that the U.S. and Qatar were on the verge of finalizing a defense cooperation agreement as he framed the Middle Eastern ally as the “only country in the world” positioned to mediate between Israel and Hamas.

The secretary’s comments came as he was leaving Jerusalem, where he had met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The meeting took place against the backdrop of Israel’s airstrikes on Hamas leaders in Qatar last week, as well as its intensifying bombardment of Gaza City.

Rubio, who is now heading to Qatar for a quick visit, acknowledged Doha’s anger over the Israeli airstrikes, telling Fox News during an exclusive interview in Jerusalem: “We understand they’re not happy about what

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