According to The Wall Street Journal, informed officials stated that Qatar and Egypt recently informed Hamas leaders that they face the risk of arrest, asset freezing, sanctions, and expulsion from their refuge in Doha if they do not agree to a ceasefire with Israel.
These threats, according to the newspaper, were issued at the request of the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, who is looking for a way to persuade Hamas to reach an agreement amidst a political swirl concerning the war, but this had the opposite of the intended effect. On Thursday, after these threats were made, Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas and head of the movement’s political bureau in exile in Qatar, stated he would not agree to a deal that does not meet the movement’s conditions. Carrying a message from Yahya Sinwar, the most significant leader of the movement in Gaza, Haniyeh said the current proposal—put forth by President Biden himself at a press conference a week ago—is unacceptable to Hamas because it does not ensure an end to the war.
Hamas’ response represents the latest stumbling block in Biden’s efforts to revive long-stalled negotiations towards an agreement that would halt the fighting in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. On Monday, in a phone call, Biden urged the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to “use all appropriate measures to ensure Hamas’ acceptance of the agreement,” according to a statement from the White House. U.S. officials said they had not received a final response from Hamas regarding the revived ceasefire proposal. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated, “We are still awaiting a formal response from Hamas,” adding, “We have seen some public comments, but we do not take them as official or confirmatory in any way.”
The newspaper also noted that this week’s warning is the first time Qatar has threatened to expel Hamas leaders from their base in Doha, where they have been stationed for over a decade. Qatar officials had warned as early as March that Hamas leaders would face expulsion if they did not accept a ceasefire agreement.
Daniel Levy, a former Israeli official and negotiator, stated that the current round of negotiations is at risk of repeating the failures of previous rounds. “It seems that Biden’s speech offers a puzzling potential to break the deadlock by setting a path for a permanent ceasefire, in which all stages are linked,” Levy remarked. He added, “Once Netanyahu opposed the first stage of the path toward a permanent ceasefire, the United States failed the test and gave up. By refusing to emphasize the clear commitment to a permanent ceasefire, the Biden administration has returned us to a predictable course.”
