Qatari & Israeli officials meet in New York to mend ties amid differing opinions over Hamas disarmament, Gaza future

Qatari and Israeli officials met in New York City on Sunday, as the U.S. mediated between the countries to try and mend relations after Israel’s failed strike on the Hamas leadership in Doha in September had strained the ties.

According to the news outlet Axios, White House envoy Steve Witkoff hosted the meeting of Israel’s Mossad director David Barnea with a senior Qatari official.

It was the first time that the countries convened under the framework of a U.S.-proposed mechanism meant to “enhance coordination, improve communication, resolve mutual grievances, and strengthen collective efforts to prevent threats.”

During a visit at the White House several weeks after the strike, U.S. President Donald Trump pushed Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call the Emir of Qatar and to apologize for the strike.

Netanyahu “expressed his deep regret that Israel's missile strike… unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman” and “further expressed regret that, in targeting Hamas leadership during hostage negotiations, Israel violated Qatari sovereignty,” his office stated.

After the meeting, Qatar and Israel agreed to hold regular meetings to address “grievances,” which on Israel’s side, range “from support for the Muslim Brotherhood to how Israel is portrayed on Al Jazeera, to support for anti-Israel sentiment on college campuses,” Netanyahu said.

Relations between Qatar and Israel have been on a downward trajectory since Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre, after which Qatar didn’t expel the group’s leadership from its capital, instead taking up an ostensibly neutral mediating role.

Media reports have since suggested that Qatar has declined to pressure Hamas throughout the hostage negotiations. According to Ynet News, Qatar and its ally Turkey are currently working to avert a full disarmament of the group.

The Gaza ceasefire is currently still in its first phase, as Hamas still holds the body of Israeli hostage Ran Gvili. Once the body is returned, the second phase would demand Hamas to lay down its weapons to allow the International Stabilization Force (ISF) to take over security in the enclave.

Ynet News reported that Qatar and Turkey are proposing that Hamas give its weapons to the Palestinian Authority (PA), or to transfer them to a secure warehouse, rather than handing them all over to a third party.

In addition, they are said to propose a two-year “grace period” where Hamas would be allowed to keep its weapons, while Israel is ready to give the terror group a few months, at most.

Israel is reportedly signalling to Washington that it is prepared to disarm Hamas with military force unless it lays down its weapons soon.

The Ynet report noted that Israeli officials believe the issue will be among the main points of discussions during the upcoming meeting between Netanyahu and Trump at the White House later this month.