We’re better off with Hamas in Qatar, than out

The news that Qatar is ‘re-evaluating’ its role as mediator in the ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, amid claims by the Qatari Prime Minister that its efforts are being ‘misused for narrow political interests’, will have been met with consternation in many western and Middle Eastern capitals. Qatar’s potential withdrawal comes at a time when talks to secure a truce and the release of the hostages still being held in Gaza have stalled. A ground assault into the final Hamas stronghold of Rafah looks likely to be the next chapter in a gruelling war. 

Should Qatar cease its mediation efforts, this might also spell the end of the West’s backchannel with Hamas. Prior to 2012, speaking with senior figures in Hamas – which governs the more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip – was extremely difficult. Decades of conflict with Israel had led to a leadership under constant threat of assassination by Israel’s intelligence services, and fearful of being out in the open. Egypt had