Qatar has ‘stalled’ the mediation efforts for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal until the parties “show their willingness and seriousness to end the brutal war and the ongoing suffering of civilians.” Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari stated that Israel, Hamas, and the United States had been notified 10 days earlier that Qatar would halt its mediation efforts if an agreement wasn’t reached in that round.
This decision reportedly came after growing frustration over the lack of progress toward a ceasefire in Gaza. Notably, Qatar, along with the US and Egypt, has spent months in unsuccessful negotiations aimed at securing a truce and arranging the release of hostages and prisoners.
On reports of Qatar ousting militant group Hamas’ leadership from the country, the statement quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Ansari’s remarks to a Qatar News Agency (QNA) stating, “Media reports regarding the Hamas office in Doha [are] inaccurate … the main goal of the office in Qatar is to be a channel of communication between the concerned parties, and this channel has contributed to achieving a ceasefire in previous stages.”
Qatar, which hosts a large U.S. military base, has been home to Hamas’s political leadership since 2012 with approval from Washington. Following Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel last year, both Qatari and U.S. officials noted that Hamas leaders would continue to stay in Doha as long as their presence supported communication efforts.
However, the statement indicates that Qatar’s move is likely a temporary stance and it is likely to resume mediation efforts if both Tel Aviv and Hamas show ‘serious’ intent to end the ‘brutal war’ and ‘suffering of civilians’ caused by it.
A US official in Washington stated that the Biden administration had advised Qatar two weeks ago that keeping Hamas’s office open in Doha was no longer productive and suggested the delegation be expelled, reported PTI. After Hamas turned down the latest ceasefire proposal, Qatar accepted this recommendation and notified the Hamas delegation of the decision 10 days ago, according to a senior US official.
Hamas has repeatedly demanded an end to the war and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza as a condition for any ceasefire. Meanwhile, Israel is firm on securing the release of all hostages and maintaining a presence in Gaza.
With these opposing conditions, there remains no resolution in sight for the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza or the parallel conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
