Qatar Foreign Ministry: Hamas Political Office in Doha Has Not Been Permanently Closed

A file photo of two Palestinian fighters from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, participating in a military parade near the border with Israel in central Gaza Strip, July 19, 2023 (Reuters).
A file photo of two Palestinian fighters from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, participating in a military parade near the border with Israel in central Gaza Strip, July 19, 2023 (Reuters).
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Qatar Foreign Ministry: Hamas Political Office in Doha Has Not Been Permanently Closed

A file photo of two Palestinian fighters from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, participating in a military parade near the border with Israel in central Gaza Strip, July 19, 2023 (Reuters).
A file photo of two Palestinian fighters from the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, participating in a military parade near the border with Israel in central Gaza Strip, July 19, 2023 (Reuters).

The political office of the Palestinian Hamas group in Doha has not been permanently closed, Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said on Tuesday.
Al-Ansari said leaders of the Hamas negotiating team were not in Doha, reported Reuters.
Qatar said last week it had told Hamas and Israel that it will suspend efforts to mediate a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until both show seriousness about resuming talks. Doha also said media reports that it had told Hamas to leave the Gulf Arab country were not accurate.

Qatar, which is home to a major US military base, has hosted Hamas's political leadership since 2012 with Washington's blessing.

During the talks after Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel last year, both Qatari and US officials indicated that the militant group would remain in Doha as long as its presence offered a viable channel of communication.



UNICEF: More Than 200 Children Killed in Lebanon in Past Two Months

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on October 30, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on October 30, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
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UNICEF: More Than 200 Children Killed in Lebanon in Past Two Months

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on October 30, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on October 30, 2024. (Photo by AFP)

Over 200 children have been killed and 1,100 injured in Lebanon in the past two months, a spokesperson for the U.N. children's agency (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.
"The number of over 200 (children killed) is just in the last two months. It's at least 231 since the start of the war last year," James Elder told a Geneva press briefing in response to a reporter's question about casualties.
He did not comment on who was responsible for the killings, saying that it was clear to anyone who follows the media.