U.S. Official: Doha Ready to Reassess Hamas Presence in Qatar

A senior U.S. official said on Friday that Qatar has informed the United States that it is ready to reconsider Hamas's presence in Qatar after resolving the crisis regarding the release of hostages taken by the militant group Hamas to Gaza. Reuters reported on Friday, November 5, citing this U.S. official, that this understanding, first reported by The Washington Post, was reached during a meeting in Doha this month between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar. As of the time of this report, no immediate response had been received from Qatari officials regarding this matter. Qatar, in coordination with the United States, is mediating negotiations with the Iranian-backed militant group Hamas and Israeli officials over the release of more than 200 hostages taken during the group's attack on October 6, and has secured the release of four hostages through dialogue with Israel and Hamas. The Prime Minister of Qatar stated on Wednesday that the country's negotiations for the release of hostages are progressing and expressed hope for a breakthrough soon. Hamas opened its political office in Doha in 2012, and several Hamas officials, including Ismail Haniyeh, the group's leader, and Khaled Mashal, its former chief, regularly spend time in Doha. In a joint press conference on October 14 with the Qatari Prime Minister, Blinken responded to a question about whether the U.S. is asking Doha to close Hamas's political office by saying, 'Relations with Hamas can no longer be as they have been.' Sheikh Mohammed emphasized that the purpose of keeping Hamas's political office open is 'a way to communicate and establish peace and calm in the region, not to provoke war.' He stated that keeping communication channels open is important. Meanwhile, the European Union Council agreed to Spain's proposal for a Middle East peace conference. Pedro Sánchez, the interim Prime Minister of Spain, said on Friday that the EU Council accepted Spain's proposal to hold a peace conference in about six months regarding ending tensions between Israel and Hamas. Madrid currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council until the end of this year. Sánchez, in a press conference in Brussels, stated that at the meeting of the 27 EU member states, Spain called for an immediate ceasefire, but some countries opposed it. He said that instead, member countries agreed to call for 'humanitarian pauses' in attacks and to open aid corridors for civilians in Gaza as a way to achieve a general consensus. Sánchez noted that the EU also accepted the Madrid peace conference proposal to bring member countries' views closer together, which includes renewed efforts for a two-state solution aimed at ending tensions between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel has committed to destroying Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. Joe Biden, the President of the United States, has stated that any discussion of a ceasefire in Gaza is only possible if Hamas releases all hostages taken from Israel during the October 6 attack. The U.S., the EU, and Japan have designated the Iranian-backed militant group Hamas as a terrorist organization. The White House: The U.S. is utilizing all capacities to free hostages held by Hamas. The U.S. has urged its allies in the Middle East to help cut off Hamas's funding networks. Israel: Hostages must be released unconditionally. Netanyahu: We are ready to attack; The Wall Street Journal: Israel agreed to delay the ground attack on Gaza. The Wall Street Journal: Israel agreed to the U.S. request to postpone the ground attack on Gaza. Confirmation of the release of two more hostages; Hamas released two Israeli women. A peace conference in Cairo was held to reduce tensions in the Israel-Hamas war and send aid to Gaza. A medical team has arrived in Gaza; the UN states that 100 trucks of aid are needed daily. The U.S. has sanctioned several individuals and entities linked to Hamas and several members of the Revolutionary Guards.