Qatar’s foreign ministry on Saturday (Nov 9) confirmed that the nation has paused its role as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas. Citing a lack of “seriousness” from both parties to achieve a ceasefire and hostage release deal, Qatar said it had warned both Israel and Hamas “10 days ago”. The nation has also revealed its conditions for the resumption of the vital talks.
A warning ignored?
According to Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari, “Qatar notified the parties 10 days ago, during the last attempts to reach an agreement, that it would stall its efforts to mediate between Hamas and Israel if an agreement was not reached in that round”.
This decision to pull out follows months of stalled diplomacy, mediated with support from Cairo and Washington, and the breakdown of a temporary truce reached in November 2023.
Majed Al Ansari said “Qatar would resume those efforts… when the parties show their willingness and seriousness.”
Speaking to AFP, an unnamed diplomatic source, on Saturday revealed that “The Qataris informed both the Israelis and Hamas that as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith, they cannot continue to mediate”.
With Gaza truce talks deadlocked, the Hamas political office in Doha “no longer serves its purpose”, said the diplomatic source. However, despite the diplomatic pullback, Hamas’s political office in Doha remains open, as Qatari and US officials said its presence in Qatar offers a potential communication channel. No requests have been made for Hamas’s departure from Qatar, said a senior group official.
Meanwhile, the families of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza held a rally on Saturday, pressing for an immediate hostage deal and voicing frustration with Qatar’s withdrawal as a mediator.
400 days of Gaza war
In Gaza, the conflict has entered its 400th day. The conflict marked by unrelenting violence and a deepening humanitarian crisis, as per data from the territory’s health ministry has already claimed over 43,500 fatalities in Gaza, primarily civilians. Additionally, over 1,200 Israeli casualties were reported from the initial Hamas attack.
Meanwhile, a UN-backed report by the Famine Review Committee has warned that famine conditions are imminent in northern Gaza due to food shortages and escalating hostilities, a claim Israel disputes as based on “biased data.”
(With inputs from agencies)