Alsharq Tribune- Ahmed Essam
The political office of the Palestinian Hamas group in Doha has not been permanently closed, Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said on Tuesday. Al-Ansari said leaders of the Hamas negotiating team were not in Doha, reported Reuters. Qatar said last week it had told Hamas and Israel that it will suspend efforts to mediate a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until both show seriousness about resuming talks.
Doha also said media reports that it had told Hamas to leave the Gulf Arab country were not accurate. Qatar, which is home to a major US military base, has hosted Hamas's political leadership since 2012 with Washington's blessing. During the talks after Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel last year, both Qatari and US officials indicated that the militant group would remain in Doha as long as its presence offered a viable channel of communication
