Sources say Qatar has suspended participation in talks between Israel and Hamas

(CNN)- Qatar is suspending its participation as a mediator in talks between Israel and Hamas after concluding that the parties are no longer negotiating in good faith, two sources familiar with the situation told CNN.

Qatar, which has long hosted Hamas’ political office in Doha, has teamed up with Egypt to act as a mediator between the two sides, who do not officially maintain direct contacts.

A diplomatic source with knowledge of the matter told CNN that the Qatari government made the decision after concluding that the parties now “refuse to engage in constructive dialogue.”

Apart from brief activity last month, there have been no real talks since Hamas executed six Israeli hostages found in a Gaza tunnel in late August. During a temporary ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Egypt in November, Hamas released 105 hostages and Israel released 240 Palestinian prisoners.

“Qatar has come to the conclusion that there is not enough will on both sides and that mediation efforts are becoming more of a political and public relations issue than a serious effort to ensure peace and rescue hostages and Palestinian civilians.” a diplomatic source told CNN. “As a result, the Political Office of Hamas no longer serves its purpose.”

Hamas has insisted that any agreement with Israel must bring a permanent end to the war in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected that demand. In July, he effectively scrapped a draft agreement by introducing a series of new demands at the last minute that included a hostage exchange and a ceasefire.

There are still 101 hostages in Gaza. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, Israel’s military campaign launched in response to the Hamas attack on October 7 has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians in Gaza; The United Nations reported that 70% of those killed in the first six months of the conflict were women and children.

Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat appeared to offer the first official Israeli reaction to the decision. In X, he said: “Qatar was never a mediator, but a protector of Hamas, funding and protecting the terrorist organization.” Netanyahu supported payments to Hamas through Qatar for years in order to divide Palestinian politics and, according to his opponents, to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.

This is not the first time that the Qatari government has expressed disappointment over the process. In April, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Qatar’s efforts were being used by some involved in the conflict to pursue “narrow political interests”, calling on Qatar to abandon its role. There is a need for a comprehensive assessment.

The Qatari government told the Biden administration it is ready to restart mediation “when both sides reach an impasse and demonstrate a sincere desire to return to the negotiating table with the goal of ending the war and the suffering of the people.” Are.”

A senior US official told CNN that Qatar played “an invaluable role in brokering a hostage deal” last year, “after Hamas repeatedly refused to release a small number of hostages, including most recently. His continued presence, including during meetings in Cairo, is no longer feasible or acceptable in Doha.”