Qatar has agreed to expel Hamas from the country following a request from the United States. It is the culmination of efforts to negotiate a ceasefire and hostage release in the Israel-Hamas war.
US officials informed Qatar two weeks ago that providing sanctuary to Hamas was unacceptable, and Qatar subsequently notified the group about a week ago.
A senior administration official stated, “Hamas is a terrorist group that has killed Americans and continues to hold Americans hostage.”
“After rejecting repeated proposals to release hostages, its leaders should no longer be welcome in the capitals of any American partner,” he said.
The decision to expel Hamas was influenced by the recent death of American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Hamas’ rejection of another ceasefire proposal.
While Qatar has facilitated negotiations due to the group’s presence in Doha, details on when and where Hamas members will be relocated remain unclear. Turkey is considered a possible destination, but the US may oppose this.
Earlier this year, several senior Hamas leaders faced charges related to the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, with at least one leader, Khaled Meshaal, believed to be in Qatar.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously asked Qatar to warn Hamas officials they risked expulsion if they did not agree to the ceasefire proposals in Gaza.
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