Negotiations to free hostages: Qatar promised to remove Hamas leaders - and didn't do it

Qatar was supposed to announce that if Hamas did not progress towards a prisoner swap deal, its leaders should have been removed from Doha by the Qatari authorities - but Qatar failed to keep its commitment on this, Israel Hayom reported.

Qatar was also supposed to freeze some of the Hamas leaders' bank accounts.

These steps were agreed on by Qatar and US representatives, as part of efforts to pressure Hamas to agree to the Egyptian proposal for a prisoner swap and ceasefire deal.

However, the Qataris did not keep their commitments, nor did they explain their failure to do so to the US sources who asked about the matter.

On the other hand, over the past few weeks, an adviser to Qatar's Prime Minister criticized Israel and Hamas for the failure to reach an agreement.

This raised eyebrows among Israeli and American officials who are well-versed in the how the negotiations have progressed due to Qatar's behavior and its failure to keep commitments which could possibly push a deal forward.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden spoke Monday night with Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar. The two leaders discussed the deal now on the table to secure the release of hostages together with an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza.

During their conversation, Biden urged Emir Tamim to exert all efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas as this is now the only obstacle to an immediate ceasefire and relief for the people of Gaza.