•US President Joe Biden (left) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
The United States issued a warning yesterday against countries hosting members of Hamas, singling out Turkey after recent reports indicated possible moves by the Palestinian Islamist group’s leadership.
“I’ve seen the reports that some of the leadership of Hamas, who had been in Doha, have now moved to Turkey,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said during a press meeting yesterday.
Miller did not confirm the reports, but said he was “not in a position to dispute” them, reports AFP.
“We will make clear to the government of Turkey, as we have made clear to every country in the world, that there can be no more business as usual with Hamas,” he added.
“We don’t believe the leaders of a vicious terrorist organisation should be living comfortably anywhere,” Miller said, adding that several of the members have been indicted in the United States and “should be turned over.”
Qatar, a US ally and a significant mediator in the Gaza conflict, has hosted leadership members of Hamas in the capital Doha for the past decade.
The former head of Hamas, Ismael Haniyeh, lived in Qatar until he was killed on July 31 during a visit to Tehran in an attack widely attributed to Israel.
Qatar recently suspended its mediation between Israel and Hamas in efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, along with the release of hostages.
The country had been involved with facilitating diplomatic negotiations, along with the United States and Egypt, since the war in Gaza was triggered by the attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
