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By Jason Lemon and Natalie Venegas
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Qatar will no longer work to mediate a ceasefire between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel, according to a new report.
Reuters reported on Saturday that Doha believes that the Hamas office in the country "no longer serves its purpose," and that Israel and the Palestinian group have not demonstrated a "sincere willingness" to negotiate terms. The report described this decision as the "biggest setback" to efforts to get a deal done since the ongoing war started over a year ago.
This comes as Qatar, along with the United States and Egypt, has emerged as a key player in recent efforts to secure a ceasefire in the ongoing Gaza conflict, but diplomatic efforts have so far been unsuccessful. In the most recent talks, held in mid-October, a proposal for a temporary halt to hostilities was ultimately rejected by Hamas.
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An official who spoke to Reuters spoke on Qatar's stance on mediation, stating, "The Qataris have said since the start of the conflict that they can only mediate when both parties demonstrate a genuine interest in finding a resolution," adding that Qatar had notified Hamas, Israel and the U.S. administration of its decision.
In addition, Washington has told Qatar that the continued presence of Hamas officials in Doha is no longer acceptable, following the Palestinian militant group's rejection of a proposed ceasefire and hostage deal, a U.S. official said on Friday. The shift marks a growing frustration in U.S.-backed diplomatic efforts aimed at curbing violence in the region and achieving a breakthrough in negotiations.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House and Qatar's Foreign Ministry via email for comment.
"The State of Qatar will not accept that mediation be a reason for blackmailing it, as we have witnessed manipulation since the collapse of the first pause and the women and children exchange deal, especially in retreating from obligations agreed upon through mediation, and exploiting the continuation of negotiations to justify the continuation of the war to serve narrow political purposes," Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari said in an official statement published by Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Saturday.
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In August, President Joe Biden spoke about the involvement of Qatar and Egypt in ceasefire talks as he said in a statement that he directed his negotiating team in Doha "to put forward the comprehensive bridging proposal presented today, which offers the basis for coming to a final agreement on a ceasefire and hostage release deal."
He continued: "I spoke separately with Amir Sheikh Tamim [Bin Hamad Al-Thani] and President [Abdel Fattah el-] Sisi to review the significant progress made in Doha over the past two days of talks, and they expressed the strong support of Qatar and Egypt for the U.S. proposal as co-mediators in this process."
"Our teams will remain on the ground to continue technical work over the coming days, and senior officials will convene again in Cairo before the end of the week," Biden said at the time, adding that U.S. officials will report to him regularly.
Biden's remarks came after he proposed in late May a three-phase ceasefire plan, starting with a "full and complete ceasefire," a withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from densely populated areas in Gaza and an Israeli hostage-Palestinian prisoner exchange, which would free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The first phase in Biden's plan would include releasing a number of these hostages, including women, the elderly and the wounded. In the second phase, the rest of the living hostages would be released and the ceasefire would become permanent. Lastly, the third phase would start the major reconstruction of Gaza.
Meanwhile, in the wake of Donald Trump's election victory, a senior Hamas official called for an immediate end to Israel's war against the group in the Gaza Strip and a plan to achieve Palestinian statehood in remarks previously shared with Newsweek.
"The election of Trump as the 47th president of the USA is a private matter for the Americans," Hamas Political Bureau member and spokesperson Basem Naim told Newsweek. "But Palestinians look forward to an immediate cessation of the aggression against our people, especially in Gaza, and look for assistance in achieving their legitimate rights of freedom, independence, and the establishment of their independent self-sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital."
When previously in office, Trump forged a close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, Trump has also expressed criticism of Netanyahu's wartime leadership and has called for a timely end to the conflict.
Reached for comment, an Israeli official previously told Newsweek that "maintaining and building upon the special relationship between the U.S. and Israel has been a bipartisan feature of American politics since the founding of the Jewish state."
"We have no doubt that this will continue to be the case," the Israeli official said. "Going forward, we look forward to a strong working relationship with his administration to bring about a more peaceful, secure and prosperous Middle East."
It's been over a year since Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel's history on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. Nearly 100 people remain in captivity, less than 70 of whom are believed to be alive. Israel subsequently launched its military operation in Gaza, killing over 43,000 Palestinians so far, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Update 11/9/24, 11:15 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 11/9/24, 11:33 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 11/9/24, 11:42 a.m. ET: This article's headline has been updated.
Update 11/9/24, 11:53 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information
Update 11/9/24, 2:10 p.m. ET: A statement from Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs was added.
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