After months of fruitless talks, Qatar is withdrawing as an intermediary between Israel and Hamas for the time being. The parties therefore apparently showed no serious interest in a deal. What's next?
Qatar's mediation efforts for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip have stalled, according to the Qatari Foreign Ministry. However, the Gulf state's efforts to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas could resume if “the parties show their willingness and seriousness to end the brutal war,” the Qatari foreign ministry said.
The news agencies Reuters and AFP as well as the Israeli newspaper Haaretz had previously reported unanimously that Qatar would withdraw as a negotiator between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist organization.
The Qataris have informed both the Israelis and Hamas that they cannot continue to mediate as long as there is a refusal to negotiate an agreement in good faith, diplomatic sources told the media. The emirate also came to the conclusion that Hamas's political bureau in Doha was no longer serving its purpose.
Uncertainty about the future of the Hamas office
No further details were given in the reports as to whether the Hamas office in Doha would now be closed. However, Haaretz and other Israeli media reported that Qatar had also announced that Hamas leaders would have to leave the country. Hamas's office in Doha has existed since 2012, but it is unclear how many of the organization's representatives are in Qatar.
In the past, Qatar has repeatedly made a name for itself as a mediator in the region and has always maintained good relations with Hamas and the Taliban. Hamas also received financial support from the emirate for a long time. But given the difficult negotiations in the Gaza war, Qatar appeared to be rethinking its relationship with the Palestinian organization for several months now.
The request probably came from the USA
According to media reports, the request to Hamas to leave Doha was made at the request of the USA. “Hamas is a terrorist group that has killed Americans and continues to hold Americans hostage. After repeatedly rejecting proposals to release hostages, its leaders should no longer welcome American partners in capitals,” a senior U.S. government official said .
The execution of the American-Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages by Hamas at the end of August is also said to have contributed to the US decision.
However, Hamas representatives contradicted this representation to the news agencies AFP and dpa. “We have nothing to confirm or refute what was published by an unknown diplomatic source, and we have not received any request to leave Qatar,” a Hamas official said.
Qatar sends signals to US government
Regarding the negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, Qatar is said to have signaled to the US government its willingness to mediate again – if both sides “show a sincere willingness to return to the negotiating table.”
The current withdrawal as a mediator could therefore not only be an expression of Qatar's frustration, but also increase the pressure on Israel and Hamas to take part in serious negotiations again.
Together with the USA and Egypt, Qatar had been mediating between Israel and Hamas since the first and only ceasefire in November 2023. This lasted a week and enabled the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody.
Last Attempted mediation in October
Since then there have been numerous rounds of negotiations, but no result has been achieved. Hamas and Israel accuse each other of blocking an agreement. The last attempt at mediation failed in mid-October.
The war in the Gaza Strip was triggered by the unprecedented massacre of Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists on October 7, 2023. More than 1,200 people were murdered in the attack and around 250 were taken hostage to Gaza. Israel then launched a massive military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
It was only in mid-October that Israel announced the killing of Hamas leader Jihia Sinwar in Gaza, who was believed to be the mastermind of the October 7 massacre. At the end of July, Sinwar's predecessor Ismail Hanija was killed in an attack in Tehran, which was also attributed to Israel.
