With high-stakes talks over a potential cease-fire in Gaza at an impasse, Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a summit in Washington on Tuesday with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a key player in the regional tensions spiraling around the Israel-Hamas war. 

A State Department readout said Mr. Blinken and the prime minister “discussed the conflict in Gaza and efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.”

However, there was no breakthrough announced after the meeting, which represented the “sixth U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue” and underscored the depths of coordination between Washington and the wealthy Gulf Arab nation that straddles a geopolitical fault line between Iran and the rest of the Middle East. 

A State Department fact sheet highlighted the accomplishments of the American government’s relationship with Qatar, home to Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. Air Force installation outside the U.S. The department touted the two countries work together on aviation security, countering violent extremism and combating terrorism financing. 

“The secretary and prime minister discussed planning for a stable and secure future for the Palestinian people, and the secretary reiterated the United States’ support for a pathway to a Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement on Tuesday. 

The outlook for such a lasting peace has not improved in recent days. Egyptian officials said Tuesday that three days of negotiations with Hamas over the release of Israeli hostages and a cease-fire had failed amid the approach of the informal deal deadline of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. 

• This article is based in part on wire service reports.

• Ryan Lovelace can be reached at rlovelace@washingtontimes.com.

• Guy Taylor can be reached at gtaylor@washingtontimes.com.