Qatar has not made demands that Hamas leave Doha, nor indicated to the group that its members are no longer welcome, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported on Saturday.
Three leaders of the group spoke to The New Arab‘s Arabic-language sister site amid reports stating that Doha had told the Palestinian faction that its time in the country was over.
Israel’s Kan news reported that the group had been informed of this by Doha “in recent days”. On Friday, Reuters cited a Biden administration official as saying that Washington had told Doha that Hamas’ presence was no longer acceptable.
One senior leader in the movement denied the reports in a statement to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, dismissing the claims as attempts to sow discord. The official added that Qatar continues to provide significant support to the Palestinian cause and for Gaza aid efforts.
A second source who spoke to the outlet in Doha described the reports as “fabricated news [that] aims to confuse and cover up the crimes of the [Israeli] occupation.”
A third official, who spoke to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed from Turkey, also dismissed the claims as being “raised from time to time for internal Israeli reasons” as a means of distracting from internal issues.
The reports follow an attempt earlier this week by US lawmakers to exert pressure on Qatar to expel the Palestinian faction.
Republican senators Roger Wicker and Jim Risch, the ranking members of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, wrote to the Biden administration on Monday to urge Qatar to take action against Hamas, including by freezing assets and handing over top officials residing in the country. The senators called for severe diplomatic consequences against Qatar if the demands were not met.
Doha has hosted Hamas political leaders since 2012, when the group left Syria following the outbreak of the country’s civil war.
The Gulf state has previously clarified that the opening of a Hamas office in Doha was supported by Washington, which wanted to keep channels open for mediation with the group.
This article is based on a report by The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister site, Al Araby Al Jadeed.
