By Andrew Mills
DOHA (Reuters) – Qatar will stop trying to mediate a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until Hamas and Israel show a “sincere willingness” to return to the negotiating table, an official told Reuters on Saturday. informed about the matter, in the greatest setback. to efforts to reach a truce since the war began.
The small but influential Gulf country has also concluded that Hamas’ political office in Doha “no longer serves its purpose,” the official added, in a further blow to the Palestinian militant group whose top leaders have been killed by Israel.
Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, has played a major role in so far unsuccessful rounds of talks to negotiate a ceasefire in the year-long war in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the enclave. The latest round of talks, held in mid-October, failed to reach an agreement and Hamas rejected a short-term ceasefire proposal.
“The Qataris have said since the beginning of the conflict that they can only mediate when both sides demonstrate a genuine interest in finding a solution,” the official said.
Qatar has not set a deadline for closing Hamas’s political office or for Hamas leaders to leave Qatar, and it was unclear whether the move could be reversed.
Qatar informed Hamas, Israel and the US administration that it would be willing to resume its negotiating role if Hamas and Israel “demonstrate a sincere willingness to return to the negotiating table with the goal of ending the war,” the official said.
There was no official response from Hamas.
A Palestinian official close to the mediation talks said: “Hamas may not comment unless Qatar officially informs it. So far these are media talks.”
Washington had told Qatar that Hamas’ presence in Doha was no longer acceptable in the weeks since the group rejected the latest proposal for a ceasefire and hostage deal, a US official said on Friday.
Qatar’s government reconsidered Hamas’ presence in the country in April, which the official said led the group’s leaders to leave for Türkiye.
“After two weeks, the Biden administration and the Israeli government asked Qatar to request their return,” the official said, adding that Washington has said negotiations were ineffective when Hamas leaders were in Turkey.
Qatar, designated by Washington as an important non-NATO ally, has hosted Hamas political leaders since 2012 as part of an agreement with the United States.
It is unclear how many Hamas officials live in Doha, but they include several touted as possible replacements for leader Yahya Sinwar, whom Israeli forces killed in Gaza last month, including Sinwar’s deputy, Khalil al-Hayya, who has led ceasefire negotiations for the group. and Khaled Meshaal, widely seen as the diplomatic face of Hamas.
The group’s previous leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran in July almost certainly by Israel, was also based in Doha. His body was flown to Qatar for burial in early August.