Qatar will stop mediating a ceasefire agreement in Gaza until Hamas and Israel “demonstrate a sincere willingness to return to the negotiating table”, according to information from an official told Reuters this Saturday (9).
The Gulf country also concluded that Hamas’s political office in Doha “no longer serves its purpose,” the source added.
The move marks the biggest setback in efforts to reach a ceasefire since Hamas sparked the war in Gaza by attacking Israel on October 7, 2023.
“Qatar has said since the beginning of the conflict that it can only mediate when both parties demonstrate genuine interest in finding a resolution,” highlighted the source, adding that Qatar notified Hamas, Israel and the United States administration of the decision.
The . The move came after months of negotiations to get the group – whose main leaders live in the Qatari capital, Doha – to accept a ceasefire and hostage release agreement in the war against Israel, according to US and US sources. Qatar to CNN.
It was not clear when the Hamas operatives would be exiled from Qatar – nor where they would go.
Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, played an important role in rounds of negotiations to broker a ceasefire in the more than year-old war in Gaza. A.
Understand the conflict in the Gaza Strip
Israel has carried out intense airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since last year, after Hamas invaded the country and killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli counts. In addition, the group holds dozens of hostages.
The Israeli operation killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave’s Ministry of Health, controlled by Hamas.
Hamas does not recognize Israel as a state and claims Israeli territory for Palestine.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly promised to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and recover people detained in Gaza.
In addition to the air offensive, the Israeli Army carries out land incursions into Palestinian territory. This caused much of Gaza’s population to be displaced.
The UN and several humanitarian institutions have warned of a catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, with a lack of food, medicine and the spread of diseases.
About a year into the conflict, the Israeli population took to the streets in protests against Netanyahu, accusing the prime minister of failing to reach a ceasefire agreement so the hostages could be released.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed by the Israeli Army on October 16, in the city of Rafah.
