Qatar considers future of Hamas office in Doha: Report

Qatar could close the political office of Hamas as part of a broader review of its role as a mediator in the Israeli war on Gaza, an official familiar with the Qatari government's reassessment has told Reuters. 

The Gulf state was weighing whether to allow Hamas to continue operating the political office, and the broader review includes considering whether or not to continue mediating in the seven-month conflict, the official said.

"If Qatar isn’t going to be mediating, they won’t see a point in keeping the political office. So that is a part of the reassessment," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official did not know if Hamas would be asked to leave Doha if the Qatari government did decide to close the group's office. However, the official did say Qatar's own review of its role would be influenced by how Israel and Hamas act during the ongoing negotiations.

In a report on Friday, The Washington Post cited an unnamed US official as saying Washington had told Doha to expel Hamas if the group continues to reject a ceasefire deal with Israel.

Hamas negotiators arrived in Cairo on Saturday for intensified talks on a possible Gaza truce that would see the return to Israel of some hostages, a Hamas official told Reuters.

Reporting by Reuters