Türkiye Could Replace Qatar in Mediation Between Israel and Hamas, Questions Arise

Amid false talks aimed at reaching a truce between Hamas and Israel, there has been speculation in the Western and Arab media about whether Hamas is considering moving its political office from Qatar to another country , or whether Qatar plans to deport Hamas leaders and close the office.

Although both Qatar and Hamas denied the accuracy of these speculations, what is certain is that there is dissatisfaction and Qatari frustration in some parties and that Doha is under pressure, which led to announced that they are currently evaluating the mediation between Hamas. and Israel.

What are the reasons for Qatari dissatisfaction? What is the likelihood that Qatar will withdraw from the negotiations or close the Hamas political office?

Doha hosted the political bureau of Hamas in 2012. The head of the political bureau of the movement at the time, Khaled Meshaal, left Syria for Doha, after the start of the civil war and support for the Syrian opposition who waged a bloody struggle in against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Ismail Haniyeh, who was elected head of the Hamas political bureau to join Meshaal in 2017, currently lives in Qatar.

According to statements by several American and Qatari officials, Qatar hosted the Hamas office at the request of the United States, which wanted to open an indirect line of communication with the movement to calm the intensity of the conflict between the Palestinians. and Israel.

Hassan Abu Haniyeh, a researcher in the affairs of Islamic groups and an expert at the Institute of Politics and Society in Amman, says: “The opening of an office for Hamas was done at the request of Washington, similar to what Qatar was doing in mediation terms with the Afghan Taliban movement at the request of the United States, as an agreement was reached in Doha in February. ”The year 2020 between the Taliban and the United States.

Since the surprise attack by Hamas against Israel on October 7, and the brutal war launched by Israel in the Gaza Strip, Qatar has played an important role in the negotiations between the two parties. He succeeded in brokering a one-week truce at the end of November, when Hamas released 81 Israeli hostages, in exchange for the release of 280 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

But all the negotiations that followed failed to replicate that peace, and the Qatari mediation was criticized by Israel and America.

Qatar has come under repeated criticism from Israel, particularly by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said it was funding Hamas, and in late January called for pressure on the movement to -releasing Israeli hostages is an attempt to escalate and extend the war.

Last week, the Qatari embassy in Washington expressed its dissatisfaction with statements made by Democratic Speaker Steny Hoyer, in which he asked the United States to reassess his relationship with Qatar if he did not put pressure on Hamas and if they threatened to cut off funds end the hospitality of the leaders of the movement.

Media reports had previously reported, citing a senior American official, that US President Joe Biden had urged the leaders of Qatar and Egypt to pressure Hamas into reaching an agreement that would lead to the release of the hostages. Israel, after the United States accused Hamas of “obstructing the ceasefire.”

Qatar clearly expressed its frustration with the criticism aimed at its mediation efforts, as Foreign Minister and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani announced on Wednesday, April 17, that his country evaluates the mediation in the Gaza crisis: “Unfortunately, we have seen abuse.” Using this mediation for the benefit of narrow political interests… assess how the parties participate in this mediation.”

In a press conference held on Tuesday, April 23, Majid Al-Ansari, spokesman for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, repeated his speech about his country’s reassessment of the mediation, which emphasize that the role of the mediator is to work with all parties to reach acceptable solutions and not to put pressure on them.

The American Wall Street Journal reported last Saturday, citing “Arab officials,” that the political leadership of the Hamas movement is considering the possibility of moving its headquarters outside of Qatar, and that they have contacted at least two countries in the region, one of which is the Sultanate of Oman, to see if they are open to hosting their political leaders.

Before a Hamas official denied the truth of the report, Al-Ansari then said in the aforementioned press conference that “while the presence of Hamas leaders here in Doha is useful and positive for efforts mediation, they will stay here. ” a lot of talk in the media about the countries they would likely move to.

There is still the possibility of closing the office and leaving Hamas leaders from Qatar, as Al-Ansari’s statements did not deny this completely, but linked their presence to the mediation efforts made by Qatar, which they announced was currently renovating. evaluating them.

Turkey came among these names, especially when Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of Hamas, came to Istanbul last weekend and his meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. When asked about Turkey’s possible role in mediation efforts, Al-Ansari said Turkey is one of the most important countries supporting Qatar’s efforts to ‘ instructions to stop the war in Gaza, and that coordination continues in this regard.

Some of the reports also mentioned Algeria, as the French newspaper Le Monde reported on a Saudi document given to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposing a plan to end the crisis in Gaza , which includes the exile of Hamas leaders to Algeria and Arab occupation. peace forces in Strath.

Among the countries that have been put forward as a possible guest of the political office of Hamas are Iran and the other members of the so-called “axis of resistance”: Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.

Researcher Hassan Abu Haniyeh believes that “the movement’s options are limited. ” He explains, “Turkey is a volatile country. It is difficult to attend to a permanent leadership in it. It may only be a partial presence. As for Algeria, the French proposal is unrealistic, and Hamas has shown no commitment to it. , and Algeria’s situation is not clear. Any other option would be unrealistic, because Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, and the European Union, and then there will be “Many problems to host.”

Jost Hiltermann, director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at the International Crisis Group, agrees with Abu Haniyeh: “If Hamas manages to leave Qatar, it will be difficult to find a new host country, as some of the countries likely to host him could fall under sanctions. ”Of course, this will not apply to Iran. “

But Abu Haniyeh insists that all parties have a real intention to move the headquarters of Hamas leaders outside of Qatar, at least for now.

“What is happening is just pressure from countries to reach peace or calm, nothing more, nothing less, I believe that there is also a kind of Qatari threat to give up this card … if the presence of leadership for the political bureau of Hamas is abandoned… On its territory, European and American alternatives for communication with the movement will be limited. “

Abu Haniyeh says that Doha could expel Hamas leaders if the United States asks for it, but insists that Washington will take this step “because in that case it will lose any way” on communication and dialogue and things will become more complicated to multiply his presence, and he already has a presence in Iran, Yemen and Lebanon, but the political office for communication will remain in Qatar.”