According to reports, a refusal by Hamas to the proposed deal may lead to his expulsion from Qatar

A refusal by Hamas to the proposed deal may lead to his expulsion from Qatar, according to various reports.

According to the Washington Post, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told the Prime Minister of Qatar, Muhammad al-Thani, that they should expel the leaders of Hamas from their territory, if they continue to refuse a deal with Israel that includes a ceasefire and the release of hostages. The report is based on an official from the United States who spoke to the newspaper.

“An official familiar with the matter” confirmed the report to the Times of Israel, and said that Qatar would be ready for an American request to deport senior Hamas officials, and that it expects such a request to be accepted soon.

Two weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal reported that Hamas was considering leaving Qatar, due to American pressure, and that, according to Arab officials in the organization, they approached at least two Arab countries about the possibility of staying in their capital, one of them being Oman. Hamas denied the report. The spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry said that senior Hamas officials will remain in Doha “as long as their presence contributes to the mediation efforts.”

In the background, the tightening of relations between Hamas and Turkey, alongside the worsening of the conflict between Turkey and Israel. The head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, returned to Qatar from Turkey yesterday (Friday), after a two-week stay there. The visit included a meeting between Haniyeh and other senior Hamas officials with Turkish President Erdogan.