On Friday, October 13, speaking in Doha, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Qatar's efforts to prevent any regional player from opening a new front in the Hamas-Israel conflict. The following day, in Doha, his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian discussed with the leader of the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement Ismail Haniyeh the continuation of their cooperation after the "heroic victory" over Israel, before issuing a warning in a meeting with the emir of Qatar: "If the attacks of the Zionist regime against civilians and the defenseless people of Gaza persist, no one can guarantee that the situation will be under control and the scope of the fighting won’t expand."
The small emirate has made an art of this diplomacy. A close ally of Washington, which has set up its regional military command CentCom there, Qatar is also home to the political office of Hamas and maintains close relations with Iran. This balancing act makes it a privileged mediator between Israel and Hamas. But it is coming under increasing criticism, because it considers Israel to be "solely responsible" for the escalation that began on October 7 following the Hamas attack.
"Qatar has been investing in a posture of opportunism and availability for years to give itself international legitimacy. It has done so with the endorsement of the Americans, if not at their request," observed Hasni Abidi, director of the Geneva-based Institute of Research and Study on the Arab World and the Mediterranean. Since the 1995 coup by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, father of Emir Tamim (currently in power), Doha has also been nurturing its relations with Iran, as well as with Islamist movements in the region, betting that they will prove useful.
Doha also drew closer to Israel, hosting a trade representation office in 1996 before closing it. These moves drew opposition from other Gulf and regional states, who sought to bring Qatar into line by imposing a blockade from 2017 to 2021. These actors have since become key players in the Middle East, and Qatar is a privileged mediator at the service of the US.
It was in 2012, during the Arab Spring, that Washington asked Doha to host Hamas leaders, including Khaled Mashal, so that they wouldn't find refuge in Syria or Iran. "The Americans gambled on the movement's moderation," Abidi commented. It was a gamble that was swept away by Operation Al Aqsa Flood on October 7. While maintaining good relations with the Palestinian Authority, Qatar became the financier of the Gaza Strip, paying – with American and Israeli backing – the salaries of civil servants, aid to disadvantaged families and fuel. Its mediation together with Egypt has helped end several conflicts between Israel and Hamas.
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