Hamas may soon have to close its office in Qatar as the U.S. has informed the Gulf nation that hosting the militant group’s political base is no longer acceptable.
Qatar, a critical U.S. ally in the Middle East, has hosted Hamas’ political office for over a decade, allowing key leaders of the organization to reside there, as reported by Reuters.
“Following Hamas’ repeated rejection of proposals for hostage releases, its leaders should no longer be welcome in the capitals of any American partner,” a U.S. official told Reuters. “We made this clear to Qatar after Hamas recently refused yet another proposal.”
Critics argue that this U.S. demand might push Hamas to align more closely with hostile states like Iran.
Hamas continues to hold approximately 100 hostages captured during the attack on Israel last October. Multiple rounds of negotiations to end the Gaza conflict have failed.
Qatar has played a crucial role as a mediator in ceasefire talks and is expected to cooperate with the U.S. request. According to the official, Qatar conveyed the demand to Hamas leaders 10 days ago.
Hamas leadership has been preparing for a potential relocation from Qatar for months, with Turkey and Iraq emerging as possible alternatives. Recently, the group even opened a political office in Baghdad.
