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Qatar

At US Behest, Qatar Has Ordered Hamas to Leave Doha

Following a request by the US, Qatar told Hamas over a week ago that it must close its diplomatic office in Doha, senior Biden administration officials told Israeli media on Friday, November 8.  

Qatar has hosted Hamas officials in Doha since 2012 when the terror group moved its headquarters out of Damascus amid the Syrian civil war and after successive US administrations from both parties urged Qatar to serve as a conduit to the terror group.  

Two weeks ago, the US asked Qatar to kick out Hamas, a US official said, adding that Doha agreed and gave the notice around October 28. Details regarding when the expulsion of Hamas officials will actually take place and where they will be ordered to go are still being worked out, the US official added. 

Potential landing spots mentioned in the past include Turkey, Iran, Oman, Lebanon, and Algeria; but each comes with certain drawbacks, as far as the US is concerned.

The US decision coincided with its unsealing of indictments against Hamas officials, including one of its top leaders Khaled Meshaal, who is known to reside in Doha, the US official said. (TOI/VFI News)