Amid the escalating tensions in West Asia, Qatar has told leaders of Hamas to leave the country as the gulf state faces pressure from Washington to facilitate a ceasefire deal. Senior US officials said that Qatar’s warning to Hamas came after Washington said that the militant group’s rejection of a deal to release Israeli hostages meant its presence was no longer ‘viable’.

This marks a major shift in the Gulf state’s policy, which has hosted Hamas’s top brass for over a decade. According to Reuters, the request was made around 10 days after intense discussions with US officials. Doha has been a crucial interlocutor in hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas ever since Hamas’ October 7 attack in southern Israel triggered an all-out war in Gaza.

“After rejecting repeated proposals to release hostages, its leaders should no longer be welcome in the capitals of any American partner. We made that clear to Qatar following Hamas’s rejection weeks ago of another hostage release proposal,” a US official told Reuters on the condition of anonymity.

The official maintained that the US has been in touch with Qatar over when to close the political office of Hamas. This came after the Palestinian group rejected yet another ceasefire-hostage deal.

‘You’re not welcome here’: Qatar tells Hamas

On Friday, Qatar told Hamas “You are not welcome here,” The Jerusalem Post reported. It is pertinent to note that Qatar has hosted Hamas’ political office in the capital since 2012 after Syria’s civil war forced the Palestinian group to shut down its base in Damascus.

In fact, the US was the one who asked the oil-rich state to open a channel of communication with the Palestinian group. Meanwhile, a person familiar with the matter told The Financial Times that Hamas leaders in Qatar would now relocate to Turkey, another ally of the Palestinian group.

The Eurasian nation has harboured Hamas political operatives since the start of the war in Gaza. Not only this but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been vocal in his support for the militant group. However, the Turkish foreign ministry did not respond to the relocation report.

Doha has played the role of mediator since the start of the war. However, the country faced major scrutiny over its close ties with Hamas with many questioning its neutrality. In April this year, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said that Doha is re-evaluating its role as a mediator.

Meanwhile, an Arab diplomat revealed that Hamas officials have visited countries like Turkey, Iran, Algeria and Mauritania to discuss the possibility of relocation, The Financial Times reported. “Qatar hosted Hamas leaders in the first place after they got a green light from the Americans. It’s logical to try to get rid of them when the US position changes,” the diplomat said.

With inputs from agencies.