Democracy Dies in Darkness

U.S., Qatar to revisit Doha’s ties to Hamas after Gaza hostage crisis

The agreement strives to balance the Biden administration’s goal of rescuing as many captives as possible with its desire to isolate the militants after their rampage in Israel

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October 26, 2023 at 1:05 p.m. EDT
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken greets the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, at their meeting this month. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
6 min

The United States and Qatar have agreed to revisit the Persian Gulf state’s association with Hamas after resolution of the high-stakes international hostage crisis involving more than 220 people in Gaza, according to four diplomats familiar with the discussions.

The agreement, which has not been reported previously, was forged during a recent meeting in Doha between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Still undecided is whether the reevaluation will entail an exodus of Hamas leaders from Qatar, where they have long maintained a political office in the capital, or steps that come short of that, these officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.