Qatar suspends Gaza mediation role

Qatar has suspended its role as a key mediator for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until Hamas and Israel demonstrate "seriousness" in talks, the foreign ministry said Saturday.

The Gulf emirate, which has hosted Hamas's political leadership since 2012 with U.S. blessing, has been involved in months of protracted diplomacy aimed at ending the war triggered by the Palestinian group's Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

However, the talks, also mediated by Cairo and Washington, have repeatedly faced obstacles since a one-week truce in November 2023—the only one so far. Each side has blamed the other for the impasse.

"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," Doha's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said in a statement.

"Qatar would resume those efforts when both parties show their willingness and seriousness," he added.

A diplomatic source told AFP 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, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Both Qatari and U.S. officials have indicated that Hamas would remain in Doha as long as its presence offered a viable channel of communication.

A senior Hamas official in Doha told AFP: "We have not received any request to leave Qatar."

400 days of war 

Despite last November's truce, when scores of Hamas-held hostages were released, subsequent rounds...