US says ‘not given up hope’ on Gaza deal despite Qatar mediation suspension

US President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration said Tuesday it still hoped to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal, even as key go-between Qatar suspended mediation.

“We’re continuing to pursue a number of initiatives to secure the release of hostages. That work is ongoing. We have not given up hope,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

“It’s critical to us to get a deal done as soon as possible, especially so that we can bring the remaining hostages home to their families,” he said.

Qatar said Saturday that the energy-rich emirate would suspend its mediation until both Israel and Hamas “show their willingness and determination.”

Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari also on Saturday pushed back against reports suggesting that Hamas would be ejected from the country.

Hamas initially set up an office in Qatar with the blessing of the United States and Israel which sought a way to deal with the militants that separated the group from its patron Iran.

Patel said of the office: “We have, going back as far as we all can remember, been explicitly clear with countries around the world that certainly it can no longer be business as usual with Hamas.”

The Hamas presence has increasingly brought Qatar into the crosshairs of parts of the US Republican Party, which is returning to power with President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory.