Qatar and the United States are finalizing an enhanced defense cooperation agreement following Israel's recent airstrike on Doha that killed six people, including a Qatari security officer and the son of senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya. Senior US diplomat Marco Rubio confirmed the countries are "on the verge of finalizing" an upgraded defense pact, acknowledging Qatar's close partnership with Washington.
The move comes after Israel conducted precision strikes using 15 warplanes against a building where Hamas leaders were meeting, despite Qatar currently mediating ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari stated that the Israeli attack "accelerates the need" for the updated defense agreement with the US, though negotiations had been ongoing beforehand.
Following Qatar's push to expedite the defense pact, former US President Donald Trump has assured Qatar that Israel will not conduct further attacks on its territory. Trump characterized the previous strike as "counterproductive" and unilateral during meetings with Qatari leadership in New York. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintained during Rubio's visit that Israel would target threats in any country.
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