The most senior Hamas official outside of Gaza, along with key members of the group’s negotiating team, are no longer in Doha, a development confirmed by both Qatar’s government and a senior Palestinian Arab official on Tuesday, as reported by the BBC.
A spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry explained that the Hamas office in Doha has ceased its operations due to Qatar halting its mediation efforts aimed at brokering a Gaza ceasefire. Nevertheless, the spokesperson made it clear that the office has not been permanently shut down.
According to a Palestinian Arab official speaking with the BBC, Hamas negotiators have adjusted their presence in the region, opting to keep their new locations private to avoid causing difficulties for the countries hosting them.
The official speculated that Khalil al-Hayya, a senior leader of Hamas, might now be in Turkey, given his frequent visits to the country in recent months. While denying reports that Qatar explicitly requested Hamas to leave, the official noted that Qatar seemed intent on avoiding potential friction with the Biden administration and the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Earlier this week, Kan 11 News reported that the Hamas leaders had relocated to Turkey after being asked to leave Qatar. An Arab diplomat later confirmed that senior Hamas figures recently moved from Qatar to Turkey, adding that it is common for Hamas leadership abroad to stay in Turkey when not holding meetings in Doha.
This shift follows an announcement by the United States last week, urging Qatar to expel Hamas officials from Doha, which has served as a hub for the group since 2012.
During a media briefing on Tuesday, Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, stated, “The leaders of Hamas that are within the negotiating team are now not in Doha,” as reported by the BBC.
He elaborated, “As you know, they move between different capitals. I don’t want to get into details of what that means. But what I can tell you very clearly is that the office of Hamas in Doha was created for the sake of the negotiating process. Obviously, when there is no mediation process, the office itself doesn’t have any function.”
He also emphasized, “A decision to close down the office permanently is a decision that you will hear about from us directly and shouldn’t be part of media speculation.”
While Qatar, Egypt, and the US have jointly mediated efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release agreement, Qatar announced its decision to pause its mediation role until both parties “demonstrate greater commitment” to the process.
Despite Qatar stepping back, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel reaffirmed the Biden administration’s commitment to working toward a Gaza ceasefire deal.
Turkey, similar to Qatar, has long supported Hamas. In April, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Ismail Haniyeh, then the political bureau chief of Hamas, for a meeting in Istanbul.
After the meeting, Erdogan underscored the importance of Palestinian Arab unity, calling it “vital,” and stated, “The strongest response to Israel and the path to victory lie in unity and integrity.”
Later that month, Erdogan boasted that over 1,000 members of Hamas were receiving medical treatment in Turkish hospitals and criticized Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for labeling Hamas as a terrorist organization.
{Matzav.com}