Egypt and Qatar’s secret ultimatum to the Hamas leadership

An unusual diplomatic move is taking shape between Cairo and Doha: According to Egyptian sources, the two countries formulated a joint message warning the Hamas leadership about the “point of no return” in the negotiations. At the heart of the ultimatum – a threat to change the status of the organization’s senior officials in Qatar, against the background of the stagnation in talks on the future of the Gaza Strip.

Behind the move is a growing frustration of the mediators from the impasse in the ceasefire talks. “Without progress on the issue of the future administration in the Gaza Strip, we will not be able to move forward with an agreement,” a senior Egyptian official told al-Akhbar in detail. The main point of crisis, according to the sources, is the lack of agreement on the composition of the “Social Assistance Committee” – the body that is supposed to manage Gaza after the war. The dispute between Hamas and Fatah on this issue is delaying progress through other channels.

However, Cairo estimates that the joint pressure may yield results soon. “There is a possibility of incorporating some of the previous achievements into the agreement,” said a diplomatic source, “especially in the humanitarian field and on the POW issue.” At the same time, the sources emphasize that easing the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains a top priority. “Despite the political complexity”, they point out, “the immediate goal is to find a solution that will ease the situation of the citizens”.

The Egyptian-Qatari move reflects a turn in the countries’ relations with Hamas. Egypt, which for years maintained a direct communication channel with the organization, has so far refrained from exerting public pressure. The cooperation with Qatar, which has hosted the Hamas leadership since 2012, constitutes a significant change in this policy. Relations between the main mediators – Egypt and Qatar – have known tensions in recent months over the question of who will lead the negotiations for a settlement. The current coordination between the countries may mark a change in regional dynamics.