US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani have discussed their coordination on efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and the importance of preventing the conflict in Gaza from spreading, the State Department has said, Reuters reports.

“The secretary expressed appreciation for Qatars critical efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and the recent humanitarian pause in Gaza,” the department said in a statement.