The White House has been in close contact with the family of American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, promptly informing them of a newly released video. The US received the video from Qatar prior to its public release by Hamas, and the FBI and White House Special Hostage Team are currently analyzing it.
Qatar’s involvement as an intermediary in the hostage situation has been significant. Sources privy to the details revealed that the Biden administration has asked the Qatari government several times for assistance in getting signs of life from Goldberg-Polin and other American hostages. The issue even came up in talks between Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Foreign Minister Antony Blinken, and senior White House officials.
Al Thani also met with the Goldberg-Polin family in Doha a few months ago. A source stated that the Qatari Prime Minister received a request from the American government regarding Goldberg-Polin’s case and considered it a priority, pushing his team to pressure Hamas for signs of life.
The release of Goldberg-Polin’s signs of life has strategic implications. It allows Hamas to appease Qatar and the Biden administration while increasing pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to their terms for a deal.
For Qatar, obtaining signs of life, especially from an American citizen, is an important political achievement that emphasizes their importance for both the US and Israel. It demonstrates their ability to ‘deliver goods’ as intermediaries.
The release of the video has also helped Qatar repel criticism from Israel and American politicians that they are not doing enough to pressure Hamas to move forward with a hostage deal. Al Thani recently announced that he ordered his staff to re-evaluate Qatar’s role in mediating between Israel and Hamas regarding the hostages.
A source familiar with the matter stated that one reason for the statement was the feeling in Doha that Prime Minister Netanyahu was performing a ‘political spin’ on Qatar’s back for internal political needs. The other reason, according to the source, was Doha’s frustration with Hamas and Israel’s conduct during the negotiations, believing that the decision-makers on both sides were not serious about reaching a deal or willing to make the necessary compromises.
