Qatari PM hopes that hostage talks withstand U.S. retaliation

On Monday, Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani, expressed his hope that any potential U.S. retaliation in response to a drone attack that claimed the lives of three U.S. troops in Jordan would not undermine the ongoing progress toward a new Israel-Hamas hostage release deal formed during weekend talks.

In addressing a Washington think tank audience, Sheikh Mohammed stated, “I hope that nothing would undermine the efforts that we are doing or jeopardise the process.” He was responding to concerns about whether U.S. retaliation for the attack, carried out by Iran-backed militants, could potentially derail the emerging deal.

The drone attack marked the first deadly strike against U.S. forces since the eruption of the Israel-Hamas war in October, a significant escalation in tensions throughout the Middle East. CIA Director William Burns engaged in constructive talks on Sunday in Paris with Sheikh Mohammed, along with the heads of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service and Egyptian intelligence. Despite progress, significant gaps remain in the discussions.

Efforts to facilitate the release of over 100 hostages held by Hamas, which rules Gaza, have been ongoing. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed optimism about the Paris talks, providing hope for a resumption of the negotiating process mediated by Qatar. The process had collapsed after an initial agreement in November, which saw Hamas release approximately 100 hostages.

Blinken described the framework for a possible second deal developed in Paris as “a strong and compelling one that offers hope that we can get back into this process.” He also emphasised that Hamas would have to make its own decisions but did not disclose details of the proposal.

According to Israel, the October attack resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of 253 individuals, sparking Israel’s war to eliminate Hamas. Subsequently, Israel conducted extensive strikes on Gaza, leading to the flattening of most of the Palestinian enclave and the reported death of more than 26,000 people, as per Palestinian health officials.

Tensions across the Middle East heightened with Israel’s aerial and ground offensive, compounded by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi forces targeting U.S. and other entities in the Red Sea, disrupting global shipping.

U.S. officials reported on Sunday that three U.S. service members were killed and at least 34 wounded in the attack by Iran-backed militants on U.S. troops in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border. The incident sparked retaliation by US forces with Thursday’s latest strike by US forces on 10 Houthi drones and a control station in Yemen.

Speaking at Washington’s Atlantic Council think tank, Sheikh Mohammed acknowledged the potential impact of U.S. retaliation, stating, “One way or another, it will definitely have an impact on regional security, and we hope things get contained.”