Watan-On the sidelines of the meeting between Ismail Haniyeh and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Saturday, two senior officials at the political headquarters of Hamas denied reports suggesting that the leadership is considering leaving Qatar for a different host country.
Erdogan’s office stated that the two sides discussed the necessary steps for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the continuous need to deliver humanitarian aid. The officials mentioned that the organization seeks to strengthen relations with Turkey, including receiving direct aid from them, as reported by the Hebrew newspaper “Haaretz.”
This comes after a report from The Wall Street Journal on Saturday morning stated that Hamas’ political leadership is considering leaving Qatar due to concerns surrounding the lack of progress in negotiations for an agreement that would lead to the release of Israeli prisoners.
The American newspaper’s report attributed this information to unnamed Arab sources, claiming that Hamas leaders believe the talks could continue for several months, endangering the movement’s close relationship with Qatar, the mediator in the talks.
Quoting an Arab intermediary familiar with the situation, the newspaper said, “The talks have already stopped again with no signs or possibilities of resuming them soon, and the lack of trust between Hamas and negotiators is escalating.”
However, senior members of Hamas’ political leadership stated that relocating the political headquarters would not affect the negotiations but could lead to a hardening of the movement’s positions because decisions on this matter are made by Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, both based in Gaza.
According to The Wall Street Journal’s report, which Hamas leaders denied, the Palestinian resistance movement has recently contacted at least two countries in the region and inquired about the possibility of relocating its political headquarters to their capitals.
The report stated that Oman was one of the countries contacted. Omani officials did not respond to The Wall Street Journal’s request for comment.
Last week, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said his country was reconsidering its role as a mediator in negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Speaking at a press conference in Doha alongside the Turkish Foreign Minister, he said, “Mediators cannot promote things that the two parties are not interested in.”
He added, “We have seen insults against our mediation and its exploitation for narrow political interests. We are committed to this humanitarian mission, but there are limits to our ability to contribute constructively. Qatar will make the appropriate decision at the appropriate time.”