Deliver Hostage Deal or You’re Out, Qatar Tells Hamas Leaders

i24 News – Qatar has reportedly issued a stark ultimatum to Hamas leaders, threatening to expel them from the country if they fail to secure an agreement.

The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed Hamas and Egyptian officials, reported the ultimatum, highlighting the mounting pressure on Hamas to broker a truce.

Qatar, which hosts Hamas’s political bureau, including its leader Ismail Haniyeh, has become a pivotal player in the negotiations. However, Husam Badran, a senior Hamas official based in Doha, denied the expulsion threat, emphasizing that negotiations are ongoing. Badran stressed Hamas’s commitment to ending the conflict, warning of potential escalation in violence during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan if a truce is not reached.

Hamas’s conditions for a hostage truce deal include a permanent ceasefire, the return of displaced civilians to northern Gaza, increased humanitarian aid, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Strip. However, Israel has advocated for a more limited truce and has vowed to continue its offensive until Hamas is dismantled and all hostages are freed.

Blame for the lack of progress in negotiations has been directed at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by Badran, who accuses him of refusing to engage with the proposed terms. Badran portrays Netanyahu as a destabilizing force in the region, attributing the deadlock in talks to his reluctance to address the issues on the negotiating table.