**Hamas Leaders No Longer in Qatar**
Qatar’s government has confirmed that top Hamas leaders are no longer based in Doha. A senior Palestinian official also said that Hamas negotiators have moved to keep their locations secret.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman said the Hamas office was not functional because of a suspended ceasefire agreement with Gaza, but it is not permanently closed. The official denied that Qatar had asked Hamas to leave.
Hayya, a key Hamas leader, is believed to be in Turkey. He has visited several times recently. The Palestinian official said this change was made to avoid embarrassing host countries.
Qatar hosted Hamas’s political bureau since 2012 and played a major role in talks between the group and Israel. However, recent developments show a change in their relationship.
**Qatar’s Positioning**
Qatar announced earlier that it had paused efforts to broker a Gaza truce. They said they would resume only when both parties were willing to end the war. Qatar denied reports that Hamas leaders were asked to leave.
Majed Al-Ansari, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman, confirmed on Tuesday that “the Hamas leaders who are in the negotiating team have now left Doha”. He said the office was created for negotiations and has no function without mediation.
**International Reactions**
Hamas denied rumors of its leaders leaving Qatar for Turkey. The Turkish Foreign Ministry also denied this claim. A US State Department spokesman said they did not believe Hamas leaders should live comfortably anywhere, including in major cities with key allies.
Matthew Miller, a US State Department spokesman, refused to speculate about consequences for Turkey if it took in Hamas leadership. He noted that some Hamas members have been indicted by the US and should be handed over.
**Israel’s Campaign**
Israel launched a campaign against Hamas after its attack on southern Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. The Gaza war has resulted in over 43,970 Palestinian deaths, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister, reiterated his determination not to allow Hamas to govern Gaza after the war. He promised to bring all hostages home alive and repeated a $5m reward for information leading to their rescue.
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