The talks between Israel and terrorist-stamped Hamas have once again come to a standstill. Now, Qatar announces that Hamas' unwillingness to make concessions is putting an end to meaningful negotiations.
"Qatar informed the parties ten days ago that we would discontinue our efforts to mediate between Hamas and Israel if an agreement was not reached within the framework of the ongoing round of negotiations," says Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari in a written statement.
It's probably a way to put pressure on Hamas, and maybe even the USA and Israel, I would think, says Anders Persson, a political scientist at Linnaeus University with a focus on the region, to TT.
Expelled from the country
However, hope remains for continued talks and, in the long run, a ceasefire in Gaza – if Hamas and Israel "show a genuine willingness to return to the negotiating table", according to diplomats.
I think we're entering a period where a lot will happen in the war in different ways. I think this is connected to that. I have a hard time seeing that Qatar wouldn't negotiate in the future if it's, let's say, something that (USA's incoming president Donald) Trump wants them to do, says Anders Persson.
Earlier on Saturday, Qatari and American sources stated that Qatar – which has played a significant role in the protracted negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza war – is expelling the Hamas leaders who have so far been allowed to reside in the country, citing Hamas' entrenched positions in the negotiations.
Israel: Logical
Representatives of Israel's delegation in Qatar welcome the news.
"There is a logic to it", says one of the mediators to Times of Israel and continues: "Hamas is a murderous terrorist organization that must be struck down globally instead of being accommodated in other countries. Israel and the USA have for a long time tried to persuade Qatar to expel Hamas."
Anders Persson, however, is not convinced that the USA and Israel want Hamas to be expelled from Qatar.
It can make the negotiations even more complicated if Hamas ends up in Turkey, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, or Algeria, he says and continues:
The advantage of having Hamas in Qatar is that there is an address to negotiate with.
