Qatar stops Israel-Hamas ceasefire efforts amid stalled negotiations
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The news: Qatar paused its mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas, saying they will only resume when both parties demonstrate "willingness and seriousness" to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
The context: The move comes 10 days after Qatar notified the parties, during the last attempt to reach a deal, that it would stall its efforts if an agreement was not reached, Reuters reported citing Qatar’s foreign ministry.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Qatar of not pushing Hamas hard enough to agree to a deal. This has angered Qatar, which has accused Netanyahu's far-right government of misleading the public and ultimately undermining peace efforts.
What they said: Qatar told Israel and Hamas it can’t continue to mediate “as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith” and that “as a consequence, the Hamas political office no longer serves its purpose” in Qatar, The Associated Press reported citing a diplomatic source.
It comes after Reuters reported last week that Washington urged Qatar to expel Hamas, but Qatar has not set a deadline for the closure of Hamas’s political office in Doha, in place since 2012.
The sources: Reuters , Associated Press
