WASHINGTON — Qatar has advised Palestinian militant group Hamas to go away the nation, two US officers confirmed to Al-Monitor.
The Persian Gulf state has for greater than a decade hosted Hamas’ political workplace in Doha. Together with Egypt, Qatar has facilitated the oblique negotiations between Israel and the militants over a potential cease-fire and hostage deal within the Gaza Strip.
Because the hostage talks faltered earlier this yr, congressional Republicans and a few Democrats accused Qatar of failing to leverage its relationship with the US-designated terrorist group. In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Legal professional Basic Merrick Garland on Monday, a bunch of 12 Senate Republicans referred to as for the extradition of Doha-based Hamas chief Khaled Meshal and for the administration to “ask Qatar to finish its hospitality of Hamas’ senior management.”
A US official mentioned Hamas’ expulsion had been underneath dialogue for a while, following the most recent collapse of Gaza cease-fire talks, and had superior previously week.
Qatar regularly acts as an middleman for the US and its adversaries, together with Russia and Iran in addition to regional Islamist actions. It says the Obama administration requested that Qatar host Hamas’ self-exiled political leaders in order that oblique traces of communication might be established with the militants.
A consultant for the Qatari Embassy in Washington didn’t return a request for remark.
