International
US Pushes Qatar To Remove Hamas Leaders From Doha
In recent weeks, Qatar agreed to expel Hamas from its territory following a U.S. request, according to U.S. and Qatari sources reported by CNN.
The decision concludes months of unsuccessful negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, whose senior leaders have been residing in Doha, Qatar’s capital.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- ‘I Feel Sorry For Joshua’ After Knockout Loss To Dubois – Fury
- EPL: What We’re Lacking Is Luck – Ten Hag Reacts After Loss To West Ham
- REVEALED: Why TCN Is Struggling To Resolve Power Outages In Northern State
With progress stalled on achieving a pause in the conflict—a key priority for President Joe Biden—U.S. officials informed Qatar about two weeks ago that they needed to stop providing a safe haven for Hamas leaders. Qatar agreed and issued a notice to Hamas approximately a week ago, sources said.
“Hamas is a terrorist group that has killed Americans and continues to hold Americans hostage,” a senior administration official told CNN. “After rejecting repeated proposals to release hostages, its leaders should no longer be welcome in the capitals of any American partner.”
Throughout the ongoing conflict and negotiations for hostage releases, U.S. officials have consistently urged Qatar to leverage the threat of expulsion in its dealings with Hamas. Qatar’s recent decision to expel Hamas leaders was reportedly driven by the death of American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Hamas’ rejection of a recent ceasefire proposal.
Qatar has played a key role in attempting to mediate a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, largely because senior Hamas leaders are based in Doha, making it a central location for major negotiations.
The timeline for Hamas leaders’ departure from Qatar—and their next destination—remains uncertain. A U.S. official told CNN that the group has not been given extended time to exit the country. While Turkey could be a possible relocation option, the U.S. is unlikely to support it, for similar reasons to its opposition to Qatar providing refuge to Hamas leadership.
FURTHER READING
- Oko-Abe Community High School Nears Completion as Rep Wale Raji, Education Commissioner Tolani Alli-Balogun Inspect Epe Schools
- NLC Knocks IMF Over Fuel Subsidy Removal Denial
- N3 Billion Fraud: Labour Ministry Summons National Assembly Staff Leadership
Earlier this year, the U.S. Justice Department charged several high-ranking Hamas leaders in connection with the October 7 attack on Israel; one of the defendants, Khaled Meshaal, is believed to be residing in Qatar.
In addition, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously warned Qatar over the summer to make clear to Hamas that if it refused to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza, it would risk expulsion from Doha.
Click here to watch our video of the week:
Advertise or Publish a Story on EkoHot Blog:
Kindly contact us at [email protected]. Breaking stories should be sent to the above email and substantiated with pictorial evidence.
Citizen journalists will receive a token as data incentive.
Call or Whatsapp: 0803 561 7233, 0703 414 5611
