US urges Qatar to pressure Hamas with expulsion from Doha as Gaza ceasefire negotiations stalled

The pressure from the US came at a time when talks between Hamas and Israel had stalled, before the Palestinian group came back to the table with a new set of demands which were discussed this week in Doha.

The indirect talks, held between Israel and Hamas under Qatari and Egyptian mediation, were the first to be held in Doha at that level in weeks and are set to resume on Friday.

The message was delivered by Blinken to Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in a meeting in Washington on March 5, sources familiar with the matter said.

US officials stated that Qatar, which has been a critical partner to the US in efforts to reach a ceasefire deal, understood the message and received it without major pushback.

Qatari officials did not comment on the specific meeting but added that they are exerting immense pressure on Hamas. It is unclear if Qatar delivered the warning to Hamas leaders.

Hamas established a political office in Doha in 2012, with senior members of the group based there permanently. As a result, Qatar plays a crucial role in the region between Hamas and other nations.

While Blinken’s message this month was tough, the Joe Biden administration has been actively discussing with Qatar its relationship with Hamas since the group carried out its military operation on October 7.

On Thursday, Blinken said that the “gaps are narrowing” between Israel and Hamas to get a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages, but conceded that “there’s still real challenges”.

“We’ve been working, as you know, with Egypt, with Qatar and with Israel to put a strong proposal on the table. Hamas responded to that,” Blinken stated during news conference in Cairo, Egypt, with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

Blinken added he still believes a deal is possible, despite “difficult work to get there”.

“The teams are working every single day on this,” he said., adding, “There’s still real challenges. We’ve closed the gaps but there are still gaps.”

As Israel prepares for a possible operation in the Rafah region of Gaza, Blinken said the US believes Hamas “can be effectively dealt with without a major ground operation in Rafah”. He added a ground operation would “be a mistake”, and officials will outline alternative plans when an Israeli delegation goes to Washington, DC, next week.