Qatar has decided to suspend its mediation role in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, though sources indicate that efforts may resume if both parties exhibit a renewed commitment to negotiations, as reported by an Egyptian official.
According to a diplomatic source familiar with the decision, Israel, Hamas, and the United States were all informed, rendering Hamas’s political office in Qatar largely inactive. “No one has told us to leave,” said a senior Hamas official, acknowledging Qatar’s decision to step back.
This move comes amid frustration from Qatar over the lack of movement toward a truce. An anonymous U.S. official commented that “Hamas leaders should not be welcome in the capitals of U.S. allies” after they repeatedly dismissed proposals for hostage releases. Israeli government officials declined to comment on the matter.
Violence continued on Saturday as Israeli airstrikes targeted areas in Gaza and Lebanon. Palestinian medical officials reported that three separate Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 16 civilians, including women and children. In addition, Israel allowed a limited amount of humanitarian aid to reach northern Gaza for the first time in several weeks.
Israeli forces also struck Hezbollah command centers in Lebanon, with an airstrike on Tyre reportedly resulting in at least seven casualties. Meanwhile, in Gaza City’s Tufah neighborhood, a former school now used as a shelter was struck by Israeli forces, killing at least six people, including journalists and a child. The Israeli army claimed the target was a militant, though provided no additional evidence.
In Khan Younis, another airstrike on a tent for displaced people killed seven, including women and a child, as confirmed by Nasser Hospital officials. Medical sources in Gaza also reported an Israeli strike on a central hospital compound that killed three civilians, including a local journalist.
U.S. Demands Increased Humanitarian Aid Amid Intensifying Crisis
Israel’s humanitarian coordination body, COGAT, announced that 11 trucks carrying essentials reached northern Gaza on Thursday, the first such delivery since the intensified Israeli campaign began. However, the U.N. World Food Programme reported that Israeli troops diverted some supplies from intended drop-off locations in northern refugee camps.
The aid delivery follows a U.S. demand for Israel to permit a minimum of 350 daily aid trucks into Gaza. A recent report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) raised concerns over an imminent risk of famine in Gaza’s northern region, though COGAT dismissed the findings, calling them “based on biased data and unreliable sources.”
Amid the fighting, displacement has surged, with U.N. estimates suggesting 90% of Gaza’s population has been forced from their homes. Israeli forces have struck civilian shelters and schools, accusing Hamas of utilizing these spaces for militant operations.
The conflict, which began after Palestinian militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, has claimed more than 43,000 lives in Gaza, Palestinian health officials report, with women and children constituting over half of the casualties. The initial attack resulted in around 1,200 Israeli casualties and 250 people taken hostage.