Qatar has told Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel it will stall its efforts to mediate a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until they show "willingness and seriousness" to resume talks, its foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Qatar Stalls Its Role As Mediator Between Israel And Hamas
The announcement comes after growing frustration with the lack of progress on a cease-fire deal.
The Gulf country has been working alongside the United States and Egypt for months on fruitless talks between the two to reach a deal.
"Qatar notified the parties 10 days ago during the last attempts to reach an agreement, that it would stall its efforts to mediate between Hamas and Israel if an agreement was not reached in that round," a statement from the Qatari foreign ministry said.
"Qatar will resume those efforts... when the parties show their willingness and seriousness to end the brutal war."
The announcement comes after growing frustration with the lack of progress on a cease-fire deal.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the remaining Hamas leadership hosted by Qatar must leave.
In Gaza, three separate Israeli strikes killed at least 16 people, including women and children, on Saturday, Palestinian medical officials said, while Israel announced the first delivery of humanitarian aid in weeks to the territory's hungry, devastated north.
More than a year of war in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 people, Palestinian health officials say.
The war began after Palestinian militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 250 others.
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