In the months following the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, the small Gulf monarchy of Qatar has served as a hub of diplomacy. In Doha, where the exiled leadership of the Islamist terror group is based, mediators have worked to broker agreements between Israel and Hamas. Only once were these talks successful, in November 2023, when a ceasefire was reached that led to the release of dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Last month, the Qatari government announced that it would temporarily suspend its mediation role, citing a lack of willingness on both sides to reach a resolution. According to Majed al-Ansari, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, Qatar had already informed the parties in late October that it would halt its mediation efforts if no agreement emerged from the latest round of negotiations. “Qatar will resume these efforts with its partners when the parties demonstrate readiness and seriousness in ending the brutal war,” Ansari stated in the announcement.
Furthermore, several media outlets, citing diplomatic sources, reported that Qatar, at the request of the U.S., had informed Hamas leadership that they would no longer be tolerated in the country and that the terror organization’s political bureau in Doha would be shut down. An unnamed diplomat told CNN that Doha had decided to close the Hamas office because the parties were not negotiating in good faith. However, the office could reopen if talks resumed.
In his statement, the Qatari spokesperson denied reports about the Hamas office, though it remained unclear which reports he was specifically referring to. It thus remains uncertain whether Qatar will actually expel Hamas leaders and close their representation. Nonetheless, the Qatari government appears to be stepping up pressure on the Islamist organization to agree to a deal after months of impasse. At the same time, Qatar risks losing its existing influence over Hamas.
Qatar’s closeness to the Islamists of Hamas has long been viewed with suspicion. Before the war, Doha sent $30 million monthly to Gaza, ostensibly to support the poorest families and pay salaries. These payments were even supported by the Netanyahu government in hopes of buying peace in Gaza.
If Hamas leadership is indeed forced to leave Qatar, it would mark another setback for the Islamists. The emirate has long been considered a safe haven for the organization. In recent months, Israel has targeted and killed several Hamas leaders—though never in Qatar. Experts believe that out of consideration for its key ally, the U.S., Israel has refrained from operations in Qatar, where Washington maintains its most important airbase in the Middle East and values a communication channel with Hamas.
Meanwhile, there are no indications of an imminent ceasefire in Gaza. Even after the killing of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar in mid-October—a move some saw as an opportunity for a ceasefire—Hamas continues to insist on its maximalist demands: an end to the war and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has repeatedly revised his conditions for a ceasefire, has categorically ruled out such a withdrawal. It remains to be seen whether Qatar’s attempts to exert pressure can revive the stalled talks between Hamas and Israel.
