Qatar has announced that it is stopping its role in trying to mediate talks between Israel and Hamas due to a lack of progress on reaching a ceasefire agreement. The decision comes after months of failed negotiations aimed at ending the conflict and securing the release of hostages, a priority for President Joe Biden.
On Saturday, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, explained that Qatar had warned both Israel and Hamas 10 days ago that it would pause its mediation efforts if no agreement was reached in the latest round of talks. “Qatar informed both sides that it would suspend efforts if an agreement was not reached,” Al-Ansari said.
As part of its decision, Qatar also closed Hamas’ political office in Doha. A diplomat familiar with the situation told CNN that the office would stay closed unless both sides show real interest in restarting talks. The closure of the office marks a significant shift, as Qatar has been a key player in the mediation process for over a year.
Reports suggest that Qatar’s decision to expel Hamas was partly influenced by a request from the U.S., but Qatari officials say the move was made independently. Hamas officials in Doha denied the reports, calling them “baseless” and claiming the closure was just a pressure tactic.
The closure comes after Hamas repeatedly rejected ceasefire proposals and failed to agree to terms for releasing hostages. A senior U.S. official said that given Hamas’ refusal to cooperate, they could no longer stay in Qatar. “Qatar has played an important role in securing hostage releases, but after Hamas turned down more proposals, their presence in Doha is no longer acceptable,” the official said.
This is not the first time Qatar has temporarily closed the Hamas office. In April, Qatar shut it down for a brief period, and Hamas officials moved to Turkey. At that time, both the U.S. and Israel encouraged Qatar to reopen the office, but now it seems the office will remain closed unless both sides are serious about restarting peace talks.
Qatar’s decision to halt its mediation efforts raises questions about the future of peace negotiations, with the conflict continuing to take a heavy toll on both sides. (resource:CNN)
