US pressure has likely been successful in forcing Qatar to agree to remove Hamas from the country amid an ongoing war in Gaza. Qatar told Hamas over a week ago that it must close its diplomatic office in Doha, as per a US official quoted by The Times of Israel.The reported move came as Washington is believed to have told Qatar that the presence of Hamas in Doha is no longer acceptable. According to US officials, Doha gave the notice to Hamas around October 28, saying “You are not welcome here.”Qatar has hosted Hamas officials in Doha since 2012, when the group moved its headquarters out of Damascus amid the Syrian civil war. Qatar also began hosting Hamas after successive US administrations from both parties urged Doha to serve as a conduit to the group. It’s not the first time that US reportedly pressured Qatar to expel Hamas from its soil.
