Qatar's bridging role in the Gaza hostage crisis

Qatar has become a key bridge in efforts to rescue hostages in Gaza as well as dialogue between the powers involved in the Israel-Hamas war.

Two days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to persuade Qatar to support hostage negotiations and prevent the conflict from expanding, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian also visited the Gulf kingdom on October 14 and had his first direct contact with Hamas leaders since the armed organization attacked Israel on October 7.

Two visits by US and Iranian diplomats, along with a series of phone calls between senior Qatari officials and leaders of many countries around the world regarding the rescue of hostages in the Gaza Strip, have reaffirmed Doha's important negotiating position in many regional security issues.

Doha maintains good relations with both Washington and Tehran. During the 2017-2021 Gulf diplomatic crisis, when Qatar was blockaded by its neighbors, Iran maintained air corridors for the country, preventing Doha from being completely isolated. Qatar is also a key partner of the United States in the regional security architecture, with the headquarters of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) located at al-Udeid Air Base west of Doha.

"Qatar pursues a 360-degree foreign policy," said Bruce Riedel, a Middle East expert and former CIA official. "They maintain even-handed relations and quietly keep the door open for dialogue with all sides."

Qatar also has a strong voice with Hamas, whose leaders moved their political headquarters from Syria to Doha in 2012. Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and former leader Khaled Mashaal are currently in Qatar. The Gulf state also provides hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip each year and has consistently supported the Palestinian independence movement.

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh visits the Gaza Strip in 2018. Photo: Washington Post

Qatari officials have repeatedly asserted that they do not support or fund Hamas, but that the aid packages are intended for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Doha established political contacts with Hamas at the suggestion of the US in 2006, after the force won the general election against Fatah in the Gaza Strip and Washington needed an indirect dialogue channel.

Therefore, when Hamas announced that it was holding more than 220 hostages in the Gaza Strip after the attack on Israel on October 7, the West considered Qatar a key bridge to negotiate with this armed group.

Initial efforts at dialogue have proven fruitful, with two Americans and two Israelis released by Hamas. Sources say Doha is trying to persuade Hamas to release 50 more hostages, with a focus on dual nationals, the elderly and children.

Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi praised Qatar as a "vital partner with a vital interest in promoting a humanitarian solution" to the conflict in the Gaza Strip. French President Emmanuel Macron called Qatar a "correct and effective channel of dialogue" in resolving the hostage crisis.

Etienne Dignat, a researcher on hostage negotiations at the Université des Sciences in Paris, considers Qatar an expert in international hostage rescue agreements.

A typical example is the trilateral agreement between the US, Iran and South Korea in September, brokered by Qatar, under which Iran agreed to release five US citizens serving prison sentences on security charges in exchange for Washington pledging not to impose financial sanctions on Seoul if it unfroze $6 billion in Iranian assets and transferred them to banks in Switzerland and Doha.

Many other major countries in the region and outside also maintain communication channels with Hamas. Egypt is the traditional intermediary between Israel and the organization that controls the Gaza Strip, while Türkiye always wants to assert its leading position in the Arab world. Hamas also admits that it has contacts with Moscow and has sent representatives to Russia to meet with Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.

In the current context, Qatar is still considered the most prestigious bridge because it understands Hamas well and has the advantage of financial support for the Gaza Strip, according to Hasni Abidi, director of the Center for Arab and Mediterranean Studies (CERMAM) in Switzerland.

Dignat said Doha also has experience in shuttle diplomacy between the West and Islamist militant groups, including efforts to negotiate with the Taliban during the phase of the US-led coalition's gradual withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Hostage victims Judith Tai Raanan and Natalie Shoshana Raanan are led away by Israeli General Gal Hirsch (center) on October 20, after being released by Hamas. Photo: Reuters

In the long term, it will be difficult for Qatar to maintain its "monopoly" in hostage negotiations in the Gaza Strip and communication with Hamas, when many Middle Eastern countries are also trying to play a bigger role in resolving the hostage crisis.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said last week that Ankara had received requests from several countries to help negotiate with Hamas. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been trying to improve Türkiye-Israel relations for months, but has been reluctant to push ahead with the process because he fears that failing to build trust with Tel Aviv will alienate both the Arab community and Hamas.

Egypt has also demonstrated its ability to negotiate with Hamas, when it helped Israel rescue soldier Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped and held hostage by Hamas for five years.

According to expert Hasni Abidi, Egypt and Türkiye have the potential to intervene more deeply in the hostage rescue negotiation efforts when they have established a long-term communication channel with Hamas, thereby convincing the Hamas leadership to accept dialogue. With a large number of hostages, the negotiation process will be prolonged and the parties will find it difficult to reach an agreement in one negotiation.

"There will not be a common negotiation for all hostages. Each country whose citizens are held will have to find its own way to negotiate," Hasni Abidi said.

After its initial success, Qatar is under pressure to reassess the risks of maintaining its military partnership with the West while maintaining contact with the Hamas militant group, especially given the high civilian casualties in the October 7 attack.

According to diplomatic officials revealed to the Washington Post, in addition to the topic of hostage rescue negotiations in the Gaza Strip, US Secretary of State Blinken reached an agreement asking Qatar to review its relationship with Hamas once the hostage crisis is resolved. This move is part of a strategy to isolate and reduce Hamas' power, preventing the recurrence of large-scale attacks on Israel.

Axios, citing a US government source, revealed that Washington also asked Qatar to "tone down" messages attacking Israel on Al Jazeera, a news channel based in the country. The US is concerned that the Qatari government-funded media outlet will fuel the fire with articles criticizing Israel, fanning public anger in Arab countries and causing conflict to spread in the Middle East.

"The relationship with Hamas has become a double-edged sword, forcing the Qatari government to shape the appropriate message. Although the US is appreciating Qatar's role in the hostage rescue effort, the image of this Gulf country is still negatively affected by Hamas," said Mehran Kamrava, professor of public policy at Georgetown University Qatar.

Thanh Danh (According to Financial Times, Times of Israel, AFP )

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