“The Israelis have begun to take operations there. So we think we have a very short window of time in which a deal can happen. We don’t have months anymore, and we probably have days and maybe a few weeks to go,” Rubio told reporters as he flew out of Israel for mediator Qatar.

“Our number one choice is that this ends through a negotiated settlement where Hamas says, ‘We’re going to demilitarise, we’re no longer going to pose a threat,'” Rubio said.

“Sometimes when you’re dealing with a group of savages like Hamas, that’s not possible, but we hope it can happen,” Rubio said.

Rubio met with Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, giving his backing to the Israeli prime minister’s new offensive in Gaza City and its stated goal of eradicating Hamas.

Witnesses later told AFP that the city was under heavy bombardment.