Qatar has reportedly finally kicked the Hamas leadership out of its country, after months of effort from the United States to encourage them to do so.
Some of the leaders of the terror group, responsible for the October 7 attacks on Israel, had resided in the petrostate for years. But Qatari and US officials claimed that the Al-Thani family, which runs the tiny nation, had finally relented.
However, Hamas has denied any such agreement from the Qataris and US, and claimed that its leadership is still welcome in Doha.
If it were confirmed that Hamas leaders must now leave Qatar, it would mark a rare win for US President Joe Biden, who has been pushing for the deal for some time.
“Hamas is a terrorist group that has killed Americans and continues to hold Americans hostage,” a senior US official told CNN.
“After rejecting repeated proposals to release hostages, its leaders should no longer be welcome in the capitals of any American partner.”
However, Hamas has rubbished the claims. A senior Hamas official said the reports that its leaders had been expelled from Hamas were “baseless” and a “pressure tactic,” adding that similar claims have been previously made but without supporting evidence.
“What was reported in the Israeli media about Qatar agreeing to expel Hamas from Doha following a US request has no basis and is merely a pressure tactic. This has been repeated without any evidence,” the Hamas official told the US broadcaster on Saturday.
Earlier this year the IDF managed to kill Hamas’ top man, Yahya Sinwar, in the Tal as Sultan refugee camp in Rafah, Gaza.
The Gazan had led the terror group since 2017, until his death in October – a major coup for the Israelis.
