Qatar has formally withdrawn from its role as a mediator for a hostage release and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, according to a diplomatic source quoted Saturday night by the AFP news agency.
“The Qataris informed both the Israelis and Hamas that as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith, they cannot continue to mediate,” the source said. “As a consequence, the Hamas political office no longer serves its purpose.
The Doha government notified Israel and Hamas, as well as the United States, of its decision, the source added. The leadership of the terrorist organization has maintained a headquarters in the Qatari capital since 2012, with the blessing of the United States.
Hamas has rejected every hostage release and ceasefire deal proposed by the mediators — Qatar, Egypt and the United States — since an agreement reached a year ago that enabled the release of 105 hostages during a week-long ceasefire deal broken on the final day by the terrorist organization.
A senior Biden Administration official said the White House asked Qatar to evict Hamas about two weeks ago, after its rejection of the most recent hostage release and ceasefire proposal.
The move followed the death of dual US-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose body was recently found by Israeli forces with those of five other hostages in a Hamas terror tunnel in Gaza.
A total of 251 hostages were kidnapped and held captive by Hamas in Gaza during its October 7, 2023 invasion and massacre of 1,200 people in southern Israel. Four other hostages — including the bodies of two Israeli soldiers — have similarly been held captive by Hamas in Gaza since 2014.
“Following Hamas’ repeated refusal to release even a small number of hostages, including most recently during meetings in Cairo, their continued presence in Doha is no longer viable or acceptable,” the US official said. “We made that clear to Qatar following Hamas’s rejection weeks ago of another hostage release proposal.
“Hamas is a terrorist group that has killed Americans and continues to hold American hostages,” the official noted.
“After rejecting repeated proposals to release hostages, its leaders should no longer be welcome in the capitals of any American partner.”
Even if Hamas is compelled to leave Doha, the terrorist organization still maintains a headquarters in Turkey, where it has warm support from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — as well as in Beirut, Lebanon.
