The Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, met with the head of Hamas's political bureau, Ismail Haniya, on Tuesday, amid efforts to halt the war waged by Israel on the Gaza Strip. A knowledgeable source told the "Times of Israel" that Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman urged Haniya to "make concessions" regarding the revisions the movement submitted last week on the Israeli proposal concerning hostages and a ceasefire.
Another informed source mentioned that "the main obstacle to reaching an agreement is Hamas's demand for Israel to agree to a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli military forces in the first phase of the deal, while Israel insists that it will not agree to end the war until all hostages are released and Hamas is removed from power."
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf, revealed during a Senate subcommittee hearing that "there is understandable frustration on the part of the hostages' families and Israeli government officials who are asking: Can’t Qatar do more? Can't the United States exert more pressure on Qatar to push Hamas harder?"
She added: "There are a number of Hamas political officials in Doha, and the Qatari officials are pressing them. I can assure you they are applying pressure." The U.S. official pointed out that "Doha does not have the same influence over the leader of the movement in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar," who is considered the final decision-maker.
Qatar, along with Egypt, has been the main mediator in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which have been ongoing without any progress so far.
