Qatar has decided to withdraw from its role as mediator between Hamas and Israel.
According to a diplomat briefed on the matter, Qatar suspended its mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel because the two sides refused to negotiate in good faith. The diplomat spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the details of the talks.
The small Arab Gulf country, a U.S. ally, has played a key yet delicate role in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.
The diplomat said this decision was made in April and not under any U.S. or Israeli pressure, and that the Biden administration asked Qatar to re-engage and bring Hamas leaders in exile back for another try recently, which also resulted in failure to secure a deal.
A Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement that the country gave notice to Israel and Hamas 10 days ago that it would suspend mediation if an agreement was not reached in that round of talks. However, Qatar "would resume those efforts with partners when the necessary seriousness is available to end the brutal war and the ongoing suffering of civilians," the spokesperson said.
In November of last year, Qatar helped broker a temporary cease-fire and the release of more than 100 hostages taken from Israel in the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7. The short-lived deal also freed hundreds of Palestinian detainees in Israel.
Qatar along with Egypt, as mediators, have openly blamed Israel's prime minister and his far-right government in recent months for refusing to commit to a ceasefire and changing the terms of agreements being reached with his negotiators. Israel's leadership has insisted on only a temporary pause in hostilities that frees hostages, saying it will not end the war until all of Hamas' capabilities are dismantled. The Israeli military says all of Hamas' brigades have been dismantled, and military officials are increasingly questioning the war's necessity after more than a year.
Qatar has provided a haven for exiled Hamas leaders for nearly two decades, but the diplomat said based on the failure to achieve a ceasefire deal through negotiations, they see no purpose for continuing to host the Hamas political office.
Hamas set up in the country in 2006, upon a request from the George W. Bush administration for Qatar to host the group's exiled leadership after it won elections in the Gaza Strip. Multiple U.S. administrations have since used this back channel to their advantage to deal with the group they can't ignore but don't want to speak with directly.
A U.S. senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity about sensitive diplomatic negotiations said Qatar had played an invaluable role in mediating with Hamas to secure the release of hostages last year.
“However, following Hamas’s 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 U.S. official said.
“Hamas is a terrorist group that has killed Americans and continues to hold Americans hostage. After rejecting repeated proposals to release hostages, its leaders should no longer be welcome in the capitals of any American partner,” the official said.
Qatar was slammed by Israel’s far-right leadership and its supporters throughout the war for its ties to Hamas, and Qatar’s public move now comes just after a new Trump administration is set to take power.
Hamas did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment on where its leadership in exile will relocate.
NPR's Asma Khalid contributed reporting.
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