Could ceasefire talks really work this time? Qatar holds the key
The Arab state is the only party with the ability to genuinely pressure Hamas — and the US must help
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and foreign affairs minister, reacts during a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Doha on Oct. 24. Photo by Nathan Howard/Pool/AFP
Columnist Dan Perry October 28, 2024
Israel’s lack of urgency for reaching a ceasefire and hostage release deal is no longer just infuriating; from a Jewish perspective, with the hostages dying in captivity, it’s immoral. What enables the government to stick to its position is Hamas’ insistence on an Israeli pullout from Gaza in exchange for the 100-odd remaining hostages. And now, the only party that may be able to break this impasse is Qatar — the country hosting the hostage talks that resumed this week.
A complete and total paradigm shift is needed. The time has come for Qatar to use its leverage over Hamas, of which it is a major financial backer, to force the terrorist group to stand down. If it does that, the United States will have more leverage to strong-arm the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into compromising for a deal.
The key: Qatar must persuade Hamas to release the hostages it holds and to relinquish control of Gaza, allowing some version of the Palestinian Authority to reestablish governance there.
The Arab state has so far taken something of a neutral role in the conflict, facilitating ceasefire talks without actively changing its position to Hamas. But after a year of war that has seen much of Hamas’ leadership eliminated, tens of thousands killed and large parts of Gaza reduced to ruins, the time has come for Qatar to choose: Will it be an enabler of terror, or a leader for peace?
For years, Qatar has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas in Gaza, under the banner of humanitarian assistance. In effect, it has insulated Hamas from the economic restrictions that Israel and Egypt have otherwise imposed via the blockade of Gaza they’ve maintained since Hamas’ takeover in 2007.
These funds do contribute to a wide range of critical civilian needs in the strip, including infrastructure, fuel subsidies and healthcare. But they have also allowed Hamas to maintain its control over Gaza and continue its operations.
Direct cash assistance from Qatar is used to pay the salaries of civil servants — who, given Hamas’ control of the strip, are largely affiliated with the group. The development projects Qatar supports boost Hamas’ credibility by enabling it to administer public services. Additionally, Qatar has subsidized fuel deliveries and electricity, ensuring that Hamas can provide basic services and minimizing potential public backlash from civilians in Gaza — whom, it bears reminding, have not been given the opportunity to vote for their own leadership since 2006.
Furthermore, following previous conflicts with Israel, Qatar has provided reconstruction funding, which has been vital to rebuilding Gaza — but has also prevented political fallout for Hamas, helping it retain support.
Compounding this influence, Qatar has long provided a safe haven for Hamas leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh — whom Israel assassinated in July — and Khaled Meshaal, who still uses Doha as a base for fundraising, diplomacy, and organizational efforts. Together, these financial and logistical supports empower Hamas to continue its campaign of terror against Israel and unchallenged dominance of Gaza.
But at this point — after a year of war that has decimated Hamas leadership in Gaza, killed tens of thousands of civilians and reduced much of the strip to rubble — it must be clear to Qatari leaders that allowing Hamas to remain in power will only ensure further violence, radicalization, and a cycle of suffering that will consume future generations. The Arab world is increasingly focused on economic integration and regional stability, and Qatar’s support of a group committed to perpetual conflict is not only increasingly out of step with its neighbors but an active liability. They must cut their losses, and push for change.
The U.S. has leverage on Qatar, and should force the issue.
A key factor is that the U.S. military maintains a strong presence in Qatar; the country’s Al Udeid Air Base is home to the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command, known as CENTCOM, the branch of the U.S. military that oversees operations in the Middle East. Al Udeid supports U.S. air operations, intelligence and logistics through the region, a partnership that makes Qatar a key American ally, a role it appreciates. The U.S. can use the benefits brought to Qatar through CENTCOM’s presence as a bargaining chip to push Qatar to act on Hamas.
What should Qatar do, practically? Here are the steps:
- Issue an immediate and public call on Hamas, from the highest level, to immediately return the hostages and lay down its arms, allowing the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority to resume control of Gaza.
- Offer to play a massive part — presumably along with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab and Western nations — in pacifying Gaza and rebuilding it. The sums needed will be extravagant; the economic pain will be worth it to enable long-term peace.
- Offer asylum to any Hamas leaders still in Gaza who want it, and form a deal with Israel to allow them to safely leave the strip.
- Declare that unless Hamas accepts this offer there will be no further support from Qatar, and all Hamas leaders who remain in Qatar will either be expelled or arrested.
This will immediately create public pressure to comply on Netanyahu’s bad-faith and strategically blind government. The U.S. must help force him to give up his outrageous refusal to work toward installing an alternative to Hamas in Gaza. With Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader who was killed on Oct. 16, out of the way, there’s a chance he might be more open to resolution than before.
But above all, the most important role the U.S. can now play is making it clear to Qatar that if it fails to act more decisively in engineering peace, there will be repercussions.
Doha’s ambitions to become a leading voice in the Muslim world are incompatible with its support for a designated terrorist organization responsible for some of the most egregious atrocities in recent history. Qatar has sought to play a dual role: funding Hamas while promoting itself as a neutral broker. The U.S. should make clear that that game is over.
Qatar has a choice: It can continue down a path that isolates it from its neighbors and the international community, or take a stand for peace, stability, and the welfare of the Palestinian people. The future of the region may well depend on which path it chooses.
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