By Andrew Mills and Nidal al-Mughrabi
DOHA/CAIRO (Reuters) -Qatar has instructed Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel it can stall its efforts to mediate a Gaza ceasefire and hostage launch deal till they present “willingness and seriousness” to renew talks, its international ministry mentioned on Saturday.
The Gulf nation has been working alongside the USA and Egypt for months on fruitless talks between the warring sides in Gaza and any disengagement from that course of may additional complicate efforts to achieve a deal.
The Qatari ministry additionally mentioned press stories on the way forward for the Hamas political workplace in Doha have been inaccurate with out specifying how. Reuters had on Friday quoted a U.S. official saying Washington had requested Qatar to expel the group and that Doha had handed this message on to Hamas.
An official briefed on the matter additionally mentioned on Saturday that Qatar had concluded that with its mediation efforts paused, Hamas’ political workplace there “now not serves its function.”
However three Hamas officers talking off the document mentioned the group had not been knowledgeable by Qatar that its leaders have been now not welcome within the nation.
Qatar has hosted Hamas political leaders since 2012 as a part of a take care of the U.S., and the group’s presence there has facilitated the progress of talks.
The struggle erupted when Hamas gunmen attacked Israeli communities on Oct. 7 2023, killing round 1,200 individuals and seizing one other 253 as hostages. Israel’s navy marketing campaign has levelled a lot of Gaza and killed round 43,500 Palestinians.
“Qatar notified the events 10 days in the past over the past makes an attempt to achieve an settlement that it might stall its efforts to mediate between Hamas and Israel if an settlement was not reached within the spherical,” Qatar’s international ministry mentioned.
“Qatar will resume these efforts with its companions when the events present their willingness and seriousness to finish the brutal struggle.”
There was no official response from Hamas or Israel.
The newest spherical of talks in mid-October failed to supply a deal, with Hamas rejecting a short-term ceasefire proposal. Israel has beforehand rejected some proposals for longer truces. Disagreements have centred on the long-term way forward for Hamas and Israel’s presence in Gaza.
HAMAS IN QATAR
Washington had instructed Qatar that Hamas’ presence in Doha was now not acceptable within the weeks for the reason that group rejected the October proposal, a U.S. official mentioned on Friday.
Qatar has not set a deadline for Hamas’ political workplace to shut or for Hamas leaders to go away Qatar, the official briefed on the matter mentioned.
Qatar’s international ministry mentioned the Hamas workplace had been a channel of communication between the events in Gaza and mentioned it had contributed to a short ceasefire and change of some hostages a yr in the past.
The official briefed on the matter pointed to a earlier episode in April when Qatar had reconsidered Hamas’ presence within the nation, main some Hamas officers to go away for Turkey.
“After two weeks, the Biden administration and the Israeli authorities requested Qatar to request their return,” the official mentioned, including that Washington has mentioned negotiations have been ineffective when the Hamas leaders have been in Turkey.
Qatar, designated as a significant non-NATO ally by Washington, has lengthy sought a task as a hyperlink between Western powers and their adversaries within the area.
The nation hosts the biggest U.S. airbase within the Center East but in addition permits Hamas and Afghanistan’s Taliban to function workplaces in Doha. It additionally helped negotiate a prisoner change between the U.S. and Iran final yr.
It’s unclear what number of Hamas officers stay in Doha, however they embrace a number of doable replacements for chief Yahya Sinwar, whom Israeli forces killed in Gaza final month.
They embrace Sinwar’s deputy Khalil al-Hayya, who has led ceasefire negotiations for the group, and Khaled Meshaal, extensively seen as Hamas’ diplomatic face.
The group’s earlier chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran in July virtually actually by Israel, was additionally based mostly in Doha. His physique was flown to Qatar for burial in early August.
