'Serves no purpose': Why Qatar won't mediate between Israel and Hamas

Officials say Qatar has decided to suspend its key mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel.

However, Qatar is highly likely to return to the efforts if both sides show serious political willingness to reach a deal on the war in Gaza, according to one official.

A diplomatic source briefed on the matter said both Israel and Hamas, along with the United States, were informed after the decision was made. The source added that as a consequence, the Hamas political office no longer serves its purpose in Qatar.

The announcement comes after growing frustration with the lack of progress on a cease-fire deal. 

The conflict has left 90 per cent of Palestinians in Gaza displaced, according to UN figures. Israel's army has struck several schools and tent camps packed with tens of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes by Israeli offensives and evacuation orders.

 

The military has accused Hamas of operating from within civilian infrastructure in Gaza, including schools, UN facilities and hospitals.

 

More than a year of war in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 people, Palestinian health officials say. They don't distinguish between civilians and combatants, but say more than half of those killed were women and children.

 

The war began after Palestinian militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people mostly civilians and abducting 250 others.