Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Hamas political bureau in Doha has not been permanently closed.

The political office of the Palestinian movement Hamas in Doha has not been permanently closed, Qatar’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Qatar denied reports that it pulled out from vital mediation efforts in Gaza and ordered the closure of Hamas’ office in Doha, after Reuters quoted an unnamed US official’s claim that Washington asked Qatar to expel Hamas.

Efforts to mediate between Israel and Hamas have been stalled, Qatar later clarified, due to a deadlock between both parties and a lack of willingness to reach a ceasefire and captives exchange deal.

“Obviously, when there is no mediation process, the office itself doesn’t have any function other than being part of the process,” Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said in a press conference.

The foreign ministry spokesperson also added that should a decision be made concerning the fate of Hamas’ office in Doha “you will hear about from us directly, and shouldn’t be part of media speculation”.

Qatar has been a key mediator alongside Egypt and the United States to bring an end to Israel’s brutal war on the Gaza Strip.

“Future mediation efforts depend on the willingness of all parties to engage positively in negotiations,” Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The Hamas political bureau in Doha was established at Washington’s behest in 2012 and has been used to facilitate mediation efforts to end the Gaza war.

Al-Ansari also clarified on the state of Hamas’ members who were based in the Qatari capital.

“The leaders of Hamas that are within the negotiating team are now not in Doha. As you know, they move between the different capitals,” Al-Ansari confirmed.

Recent reports lay claims that the Palestinian movement’s leader were moving their bases to Ankara instead, which were later dismissed by Turkish diplomatic sources.

Senior officials of Joe Biden’s administration warned Türkiye against hosting senior Hamas officials.

Members of the Palestinian resistance group have been in Türkiye since 2011 after Israel sent them there as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner-exchange agreement.

“I would leave it to the Turkish government to comment on these reports. We have always seen them move between capitals, going to their residence or where their families are at,” Al-Ansari said during the media briefing.

Al-Ansari also confirmed Qatar is always in coordination with “our partners and brothers in Turkey over all regional issues, including, of course, the issue in Gaza and Lebanon.”

When asked about President-elect Donald Trump’s role as a partner to Qatar towards a truce in Gaza, Doha reaffirmed its enduring strategic partnership with Washington, which has spanned over five decades and multiple administrations.

“We are willing, of course, to continue the great relationship that has flourished throughout the years with the United states, with the incoming administration as we are now, of course in complete coordination with the current administration,” Al-Ansari said.

“We will be working with all the officials that will be appointed by President Trump in good faith, and we have confidence in our relationship with the United States and in the importance of the United States role in this region.”