Hamas leaders may leave Qatar after 12 years
Political leaders of Hamas, who have been residing in Qatar since 2012, are reportedly considering leaving the country due to international pressure on Qatar.
They have initiated discussions with authorities of some countries, including Oman, in response to the pressure.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal published on Saturday, April 20, Hamas political leaders are on the verge of leaving their current base in Qatar. This move comes as U.S. lawmakers press Qatar to broker ceasefire negotiations, which appear to have failed.
If Hamas leaders, amid heightened tensions between Israel and Palestine, vacate their political office in Qatar, it could jeopardize the “breakthrough talks” revolving around the exchange of Israeli and Palestinian prisoners.
Since 2012, political leaders of Hamas, including Ismail Haniyeh, have been based in Doha, the capital of Qatar, where the group’s political bureau leads most of the negotiations with Israel and its allies.
Israeli media has extensively covered this development. The Times of Israel reports that Hamas has recently reached out to two regional countries to relocate its operations base outside of Qatar, one of which is Oman.
The Wall Street Journal further notes in its report that “negotiations are currently on hold, with hardly any indication or prospects for their resumption anytime soon, and mistrust between Hamas and negotiators is growing.”
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