Qatar asks Hamas to leave after US pressure following rejection of hostage deal: Report
Qatar has asked Hamas leaders to leave the country following US pressure, according to the Financial Times. This development comes amid ongoing discussions about situations in the region and issues related to situations.
The US has told Qatar that Hamas’ presence in Doha is “no longer acceptable” after the group rejected recent efforts for a truce and agreement involving negotiations.
Qatar, along with the US and Egypt, has played a key role in failed ceasefire negotiations in Gaza. Hamas rejected a short-term ceasefire plan in mid-October, preventing any agreement.
Fourteen Republican US senators urged the State Department to freeze Hamas officials’ assets in Qatar, extradite top leaders, and demand Qatar end its hospitality to Hamas leadership.
Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, has repeatedly stated that the Hamas office in Doha will remain open as long as it facilitates talks with the group.
Qatar’s response
Washington informed Doha that, after consulting with Qatar on the matter, the moment was right to close the group’s political office, which was connected to ongoing hostage negotiations.
It was unclear whether the Qataris gave the Hamas officials a deadline to depart the nation.
US President Joe Biden’s administration has been getting ready to launch an effort to stop Israeli attacks in Gaza and Lebanon.
At the time, a source close to the negotiations told Reuters in August that Hamas believed Israel changed the objective for a deal “last-minute” and that any compromises Israel made would prompt Hamas to retaliate with new demands.
Additionally, humanitarian relief poured into the devastated coastal strip, but fighting quickly returned and has persisted ever since, exacerbating the hostage crisis.
Hamas in Qatar
Qataris assured Blinken they were willing to reevaluate Hamas’s status in the nation.
