Qatar says reports on its withdrawal from Gaza talks ‘inaccurate,’ will not accept ‘blackmailing’ attempts

CAIRO – 9 November 2024: Qatar warned on Saturday that it will not accept attempts of “blackmailing” it for its mediation between Hamas and Israel to reach a ceasefire in Gaza after recent reports about Doha’s withdrawal from the talks.

A diplomatic source revealed to AFP today that Qatar has stepped back as a crucial mediator in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations, informing both Hamas and Israel that it will not continue this role amid the current “lack of good faith” in the ongoing discussions.

The news comes after the US reportedly urged Qatar to eliminate the political presence of Hamas in Doha as “no longer acceptable” after the Palestinian movement had rejected a short-term ceasefire proposal introduced in mid-October.

BREAKING: Qatar withdraws as key mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks after 13 months of war: Source tells AFP#Egypt #Palestine #MiddleEast #Israel #GAZA | #تحيا_مصر #مصر #فلسطين #إسرائيل #غزة #تضامناً_مع_فلسطين #هدنة #الهدنة #الاسرى #رفح #قطر pic.twitter.com/vPsqBF0JdV

— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) November 9, 2024

“The State of Qatar will not accept that mediation be a reason for blackmailing it,” said Majed Al Ansari, Spokesman for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, citing “manipulation since the collapse of the first pause and the women and children exchange deal.”

A short-term ceasefire deal in Gaza, brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States in November last year, led to the release of around 100 Israeli captives held in the enclave in exchange for about 240 Palestinian prisoners.

In his remarks, Al Ansari stressed that that manipulation since the first pause notably includes “retreating from obligations agreed upon through mediation, and exploiting the continuation of negotiations to justify the continuation of the war to serve narrow political purposes.”

WITHDRAWAL REPORTS ‘INACCURATE’

The ministry spokesman cited the reports about Doha’s withdrawal from the mediation efforts as “inaccurate.”

He, however, confirmed that Qatar has informed the negotiating parties 10 days ago that it will stop the mediations if an agreement was not reached in the round of talks at the time.

Al Ansari emphasized that Qatar will resume its mediation role along with its partners “when the parties show their willingness and seriousness to end the brutal war and the ongoing suffering of civilians caused by catastrophic humanitarian conditions in the Strip.”

CLOSING HAMAS OFFICE?

The diplomatic source told AFP that with the withdrawal of Qatar as a key mediator in Gaza talks, the political office of Hamas in Qatar is now deemed ineffective in achieving its objectives.

However, Al-Ansari stressed that the media reports about the Hamas office in Doha is also “inaccurate.”

#UPDATE Qatar has suspended its role as a key mediator for a Gaza ceasefire deal after deciding Hamas & Israel were unwilling to negotiate "in good faith," a diplomatic source said.

Lebanon: at least 20 dead in east, 11 in south -- health ministryhttps://t.co/bkJXXhBQZu pic.twitter.com/EoHmkJa7zk

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) November 9, 2024

He affirmed that the Hamas office has served as a channel of communication between the concerned parties, contributing to achieving ceasefires in previous stages and maintaining cam in the Strip, including the November pause.

A senior Hamas official told AFP today that Hamas has not been notified by Qatar that the movement should leave the country, home to its political office for years.

HAMAS EXPULSION CALL

A senior US administration official told Reuters on Friday that American partners “should no longer welcome … [Hamas] leaders” after Hamas rejection of captive release proposals.

“We made that clear to Qatar following Hamas's rejection weeks ago of another hostage release proposal,” the senior official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The source added that Washington has been urging Qatar over the past weeks to close Hamas’s political office right away.

STALLED TALKS

Qatar, along with Egypt and the United States have been acting as key mediators between Hamas and Israel since the war erupted in Gaza in October 2023. Since the collapse of the November pause, the mediators’ efforts have failed to bring an end to the war.

The war in Gaza has killed more than 43,500 people and injured over 102,700 others, according to the Gaza health ministry on Saturday.

In October, Hamas stressed adherence to its demand for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza as a precondition to release any captives, saying that they will not accept a temporary truce.

“The idea of a temporary pause in the war, only to resume aggression later, is something we have already expressed our position on,” Senior Hamas leader Taher al-Nunu told AFP. “Hamas supports a permanent end to the war, not a temporary one.”

Meanwhile, Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu is adhering to the war objective of returning the captives safely and destroying the military and governing capabilities of Hamas.

Israeli attacks in recent months have resulted in the reported deaths of many of the around 100 captives still held in Gaza, as reported by Hamas. 

On 1 September, the Israeli army asserted that they have recovered the bodies of six captives from tunnels under the enclave, including 23-year-old Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American captive.