The United States has urged Qatar to expel the Hamas delegation, signaling that it will no longer tolerate the presence of Hamas leaders in Doha. According to foreign media reports, the US has delivered a clear message to Qatar, demanding the expulsion of Hamas officials from the country.
A group of Republican senators has called on the Biden administration to pressure Qatar to freeze the assets of Hamas officials, hand over senior leaders such as Khaled Meshaal and Khalil al-Hayya, and end the hospitality provided to Hamas’ leadership.
In response, three Hamas leaders have rejected the notion of leaving Qatar, and the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to confirm or comment on the reports.
The latest round of negotiations in Doha, which took place in mid-October, failed after Hamas rejected a proposal for a short-term ceasefire.
It’s worth noting that following the October 7th attack last year, the US Secretary of State had made it clear to Qatar and other regional nations that maintaining normal relations with Hamas was no longer acceptable. In return, Qatar assured Washington that it would reconsider the presence of Hamas leaders in the country once the Gaza conflict concluded.
- Al Jazeera,
- Reuters
- BBC News
- The Guardian
- CNN
