Why does Qatar host Hamas’s political office?

Qatar has hosted Hamas’s governmental bureau since 2012, aft what Qatari officials accidental were requests from the United States.

The Gulf federation of Qatar has agelong served arsenic a mediator, some successful the Middle East and further afield. The state has bully relations with nations that reason each other, specified arsenic the United States and Iran, and truthful serves arsenic a determination wherever conversations tin hap betwixt adversaries.

The beingness of galore leaders from the Palestinian radical Hamas successful Doha has meant that the metropolis has go a basal for negotiations to extremity Israel’s warfare connected Gaza and unafraid the merchandise of Israeli captives held successful the enclave.

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But that looks similar it is successful jeopardy pursuing Israel’s onslaught connected respective Hamas leaders successful Doha connected Tuesday.

Why are those leaders based successful Qatar? And what is Qatar’s narration with the Palestinian movement? Let’s instrumentality a person look:

When did Hamas archetypal unfastened a governmental bureau successful Qatar?

Hamas archetypal opened its governmental bureau successful Qatar successful 2012, aft leaders – including Khaled Meshaal – near Syria a twelvemonth aft the warfare successful that state began.

Qatari officials person repeatedly said that the determination to big the Hamas enactment came aft a petition from the United States. In a 2023 sentiment portion for the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the Qatari ambassador to the US, Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani, said that Washington wanted the bureau “to found indirect lines of connection with Hamas”.

Who are the Hamas governmental leaders who person been based there?

Various elder Hamas leaders are based successful Qatar oregon person been based determination arsenic a effect of the opening of the Hamas office.

The antecedently mentioned Meshaal, who is the erstwhile caput of Hamas’s governmental bureau and who himself survived a 1997 Israeli assassination effort successful Jordan, moved to Qatar successful 2012 and has been based determination since.

Ismail Haniyeh, who succeeded Meshaal arsenic governmental person and was antecedently the Palestinian premier minister, was besides based successful Qatar from 2017, the twelvemonth helium near Gaza to go governmental leader. Haniyeh was assassinated by Israel successful the Iranian superior Tehran successful July 2024.

Other leaders based successful Qatar see Khalil al-Hayya, a subordinate of the Hamas enactment council, and Mousa Abu Marzouk.

Why does Qatar big Hamas?

Qatar is considered 1 of the astir important mediators successful the portion and internationally, making it an influential player.

The state provided fiscal assistance to Gaza – which has been nether immoderate signifier of blockade by Israel since 2007 – for years, and besides is simply a starring champion of the Palestinian cause.

Providing a governmental basal for Hamas is the effect of a operation of these 2 factors.

In his WSJ sentiment piece, Qatar’s Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani justified the beingness of the Hamas bureau arsenic it had “frequently been utilized successful mediation efforts, helping to de-escalate conflicts successful Israel and the Palestinian territories”.

“The beingness of the Hamas bureau shouldn’t beryllium confused with endorsement but alternatively establishes an important transmission for indirect communication,” Al Thani said.

Last year,  Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani suggested that Qatar whitethorn look to re-evaluate its mediation role, due to the fact that immoderate parties had utilized the mediation for “narrow governmental interest”.

What other does Qatar host?

The acknowledgment of Qatar arsenic a mediator and a harmless basal for governmental groups from astir the satellite has led to its superior becoming big to a fig of antithetic planetary players.

A fig of Arab governmental figures relocated to Qatar, astir notably successful the aftermath of the Arab Spring.

Aside from that, Qatar hosted the Taliban’s governmental bureau from 2013 onwards arsenic it fought against the US and the erstwhile Afghan government. The Taliban governmental bureau was besides opened astatine the petition of the US to supply a venue for bid talks.

And of course, Qatar hosts the US – successful the signifier of Washington’s biggest subject basal successful the Middle East, Al Udeid airbase.