US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Thani last month that Doha should expel Hamas’s leaders if the terror group continues to reject hostage deal proposals, a US official said, confirming reporting in the Washington Post.
Negotiations appeared poised to reach an inflection point over the weekend, with CIA chief Bill Burns arriving in Cairo on Friday and a Hamas delegation landing later on Saturday, as the sides await the terror group’s response to the latest hostage deal proposal crafted by Egyptian, Qatari and American mediators and green-lit by Israel.
The US has blamed Hamas for refusing to accept previous offers and says Hamas is the only obstacle to a deal that would see dozens of the most vulnerable Israel hostages released in exchange for an immediate ceasefire of at least six weeks.
The source familiar with the matter indicated that a US request for Doha to expel Hamas’s leadership could come if the terror group rejects the latest offer on the table. READ MORE