Doha [Qatar], November 9 : Qatar has agreed to expel Hamas leaders from its capital, Doha, following a request from the United States, marking a significant development in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, CNN reported citing sources.
Qatar has been hosting Hamas officials in Doha since 2012, providing a place for the group's leadership after they fled Damascus due to the Syrian civil war. Interestingly, this was facilitated by successive US administrations, both Democrat and Republican, which encouraged Qatar to act as a conduit to the Hamas group, as reported by the Times of Israel.
The US officials informed their Qatari counterparts about two weeks ago that they must stop providing refuge to Hamas in Doha, to which Qatar agreed and subsequently gave Hamas notice about a week ago.
"Hamas is a terrorist group that has killed Americans and continues to hold Americans hostage. After rejecting repeated proposals to release hostages, its leaders should no longer be welcome in the capitals of any American partner," a senior official told CNN.
However, a senior Hamas official dismissed the reports of Qatar expelling Hamas leaders from Doha as "baseless" and a mere "pressure tactic." The Hamas official pointed out that similar allegations have surfaced in the past without any concrete evidence.
"What was reported in the Israeli media about Qatar agreeing to expel Hamas from Doha following a US request has no basis and is merely a pressure tactic. This has been repeated without any evidence," the Hamas official told CNN on Saturday.
The exact timeline for Hamas operatives to leave Qatar remains uncertain.
Notably, the latest development comes after the conclusion of the US presidential elections in which Donald Trump has been declared the winner.
Earlier on October 24, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, where they discussed renewed efforts to secure the release of the hostages and end the war in Gaza, as well as ongoing work to provide for security, governance, and reconstruction in Gaza after the war.
Notably, Hamas launched a massive terror attack on Israel on October 7 last year, killing over 1200 people and holding over 250 as hostages. Around 100 of them are still in captivity, many are feared dead.
In response, Israel launched a strong counteroffensive targeting Hamas units in Gaza. The Israeli operation, however, has reportedly killed over 45,000 Palestinians in Gaza. The mounting civilian toll has raised global concerns and increased the call for a ceasefire.
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