Qatar willing to mediate for Hamas and US: Qatari assistant FM

Qatar is "open" to mediate between Hamas and the United States, according to a leading Qatari official this week.

Lolwah Al-Khater, Qatar's assistant foreign minister, told Russian state media outlet Sputnik that Doha was willing to act as an intermediary between the two parties.

"The State of Qatar is open to [providing] mediation whenever this is asked of it," Al-Khater said when questioned on a possible role for Doha if talks between Hamas and the US emerged.

She noted that this is because of "its belief in the importance of mediation for international peace and stability".

The assistant foreign minister added that Qatar has not been approached on facilitating possible talks between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, but that it was open to the idea.

"We welcome [the idea] as we have repeatedly affirmed that dialogue with Iran is necessary to reach a consensus-based formula for peaceful coexistence in the region, taking into account the concerns of the Gulf and Arab states," she said.

The US considers Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian political and militant movement that runs Gaza, as a terrorist group. Several Hamas leaders are based in Qatar.

Qatar's mediation efforts have involved the US before.

In 2020, Doha hosted talks that led to an American-Taliban peace arrangement.

The Kabul government and the Taliban began unprecedented talks in September in Qatar but they have struggled to make headway.https://t.co/5LXuUVLc6w

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) May 8, 2021

Peace talks are also occurring there between the Taliban and Afghanistan's government, though progress has been slow.

Following the recent Israeli bombing campaign against Gaza, Doha also committed $500 million to help rebuild the besieged Strip.