US Pressure Mounts On Qatar To Expel Hamas Leaders After Gaza Ceasefire Talks Fail

The United States has reportedly told Qatar that the presence of Hamas leaders in Doha is no longer acceptable after the Palestinian terror group rejected the latest proposal to achieve a ceasefire and a hostage deal.

Qatar, a small Gulf nation, has been instrumental in joint ceasefire negotiations with the United States and Egypt aimed at ending the ongoing Gaza war between Israel and Hamas.

However, the latest round of talks in mid-October failed to produce a deal, with Hamas rejecting a short-term ceasefire proposal.

"After rejecting repeated proposals to release hostages, its leaders should no longer be welcome in the capitals of any American partner. We made that clear to Qatar following Hamas's rejection weeks ago of another hostage release proposal,"a senior US administration official was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.

Around 10 days ago, Qatar communicated this demand to Hamas leaders, the official added.

The US has been in touch with Qatar on closing Hamas’s political office, urging that the time to act is now.

The Biden administration was preparing a final push to end Israeli offensives in Gaza and Lebanon, but the recent election of Republican Donald Trump as the next president has reduced Biden’s leverage during his last weeks in office.

In November of last year, the negotiations in Qatar's Doha led to a seven-day truce in Gaza, facilitating the release of numerous hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Humanitarian aid was also allowed into Gaza, yet the conflict soon reignited and has persisted.

Qatar, a prominent Gulf state with the designation of a major non-NATO ally by Washington, has hosted Hamas political leadership since 2012 as part of an agreement with the US.

After the 7 October 2023 terror attack, where Hamas killed 1,200 people and abducted 250 others in southern Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cautioned leaders in Qatar and the region that "business as usual" with Hamas could no longer continue.

In response, Qatari officials informed Blinken of their willingness to reconsider the presence of Hamas in the country when the time comes.

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