The Gulf nation of Qatar has long served as a mediator, both in the Middle East and further afield. The country has good relations with nations that oppose each other, such as the United States and Iran, and therefore serves as a location where conversations can happen between adversaries.
The presence of many leaders from the Palestinian group Hamas in Doha has meant that the city has become a base for negotiations to end Israel’s war on Gaza and secure the release of Israeli captives held in the enclave.
But that looks like it is in jeopardy following Israel’s attack on several Hamas leaders in Doha on Tuesday.
Why are those leaders based in Qatar? And what is Qatar’s relationship with the Palestinian movement? Let’s take a closer look:
When did Hamas first open a political office in Qatar?
Hamas first opened its political office in Qatar in 2012, after leaders – including Khaled Meshaal – left Syria a year after the war in that country began.
Qatari officials have repeatedly said that the decision to host the Hamas leadership came after a request from the United States. In a 2023 opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the Qatari ambassador to the US, Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani, said that Washington wanted the office “to establish indirect lines of communication with Hamas”.
Who are the Hamas political leaders who have been based there?
Various senior Hamas leaders are based in Qatar or have been based there as a result of the opening of the Hamas office.
The previously mentioned Meshaal, who is the former head of Hamas’s political bureau and who himself survived a 1997 Israeli assassination attempt in Jordan, moved to Qatar in 2012 and has been based there since.
Ismail Haniyeh, who succeeded Meshaal as political leader and was previously the Palestinian prime minister, was also based in Qatar from 2017, the year he left Gaza to become political leader. Haniyeh was assassinated by Israel in the Iranian capital Tehran in July 2024.
Other leaders based in Qatar include Khalil al-Hayya, a member of the Hamas leadership council, and Mousa Abu Marzouk.
Why does Qatar host Hamas?
Qatar is considered one of the most important mediators in the region and internationally, making it an influential player.
The country provided financial aid to Gaza – which has been under some form of blockade by Israel since 2007 – for years, and also is a leading champion of the Palestinian cause.
Providing a political base for Hamas is the result of a combination of these two factors.
In his WSJ opinion piece, Qatar’s Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani justified the presence of the Hamas office as it had “frequently been used in mediation efforts, helping to de-escalate conflicts in Israel and the Palestinian territories”.
“The presence of the Hamas office shouldn’t be confused with endorsement but rather establishes an important channel for indirect communication,” Al Thani said.
Last year, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani suggested that Qatar may look to re-evaluate its mediation role, because some parties had used the mediation for “narrow political interest”.
What else does Qatar host?
The acknowledgment of Qatar as a mediator and a safe base for political groups from around the world has led to its capital becoming host to a number of different international players.
A number of Arab political figures relocated to Qatar, most notably in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.
Aside from that, Qatar hosted the Taliban’s political office from 2013 onwards as it fought against the US and the former Afghan government. The Taliban political office was also opened at the request of the US to provide a venue for peace talks.
And of course, Qatar hosts the US – in the form of Washington’s biggest military base in the Middle East, Al Udeid airbase.
