Qatar agreed in recent weeks to kick Hamas out of its country following a request from the US to do so, capping off months of failed attempts to try to get the militant group – whose top leaders reside in the Qatari capital of Doha – to accept a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Israel-Hamas war,

Qatar has served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. But the Gulf monarchy has also come under scrutiny for its ties to the terrorist group, since many senior Hamas leaders reside in Doha. Negotiations have continued off-and-on since last November’s hostage deal, which resulted in the release of 105 hostages.