This year’s Strategic Dialogue is taking place amid major regional challenges in light of the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani arrived in Washington on Monday for the sixth Qatar-U.S. Strategic Dialogue, set to begin on Tuesday.

Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari announced Sheikh Mohammed’s arrival on his X page.

Al Ansari said Sheikh Mohammed will open the dialogue with the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, with “12 sessions in various fields of cooperation” scheduled to take place.

The annual high-profile meeting was launched in 2018 in Washington, bringing together Qatari and U.S. officials to address issues of mutual concern. The meetings often result in agreements boosting bilateral relations between the two countries.

The last round took place in December 2022 as the Gulf state hosted the FIFA World Cup. It also came months after U.S. President Joe Biden designated the Gulf state as a major non-NATO ally as he met with Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The designation provides Washington’s foreign partners with several benefits in areas concerning defence, trade and security cooperation. 

Biden had noted that the designation was a recognition of Qatar’s role as a reliable ally, given its major efforts in 2021 in light of the Taliban takeover of Kabul.

At the time, Qatar and the U.S. cooperated in mass evacuations of more than 80,000 Afghans and foreigners, which became known as history’s largest airlift of people.

The Gulf state hosts the Al-Udeid Airbase, the largest American military post in the Middle East. In January, the U.S. agreed to extend its military presence at a base in Qatar for another decade.

Beyond Afghanistan, Qatar has played several critical diplomatic efforts in issues concerning the U.S. 

In September 2023, Qatar’s mediation led to a milestone prisoner deal between Washington and Tehran that was a result of a two-year diplomatic effort. The historic agreement also led to the transfer of $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets.

Last December, Qatar’s mediation resulted in a prisoner exchange deal of 11 prisoners between the U.S. and Venezuela. The swap marked the largest release of US prisoners in Venezuela’s history, according to the Associated Press.

Gaza likely on the agenda

This year’s Strategic Dialogue is taking place amid major regional challenges in light of the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza. 

The war has neared its fifth month without a complete ceasefire in sight, killing more than 30,000 Palestinians while placing the 2.2 million population in a dire humanitarian situation.

Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt have been mediating a deal in Gaza that would possibly pave the way for a ceasefire. The Gulf state has been a key mediator, especially as the host of a Hamas political office.

Last year, Qatar and Egypt mediated a truce that lasted between November 24 and December 1, enabling the release of at least 110 Israeli and foreign captives from Gaza.

The captives’ release came in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons.

Talks have stalled since the expiration of the previous deal under the non-stop Israeli bombardment of Gaza and the expansion of its ground invasion, with plans to invade Rafah next. 

Qatar had condemned Israel’s plans on February 10, urging the United Nations Security Council to prevent Israel from “committing genocide.”

In a phone call between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 11, the former “reaffirmed his view that a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan.”

At least 1.3 million displaced Palestinians are crammed in Rafah and the invasion would have catastrophic implications. 

Mediators have been working to secure a deal in Gaza before the beginning of Ramadan, which would begin on March 10 or 11.

Delegations from Qatar, the U.S., and Hamas headed to Cairo on Sunday for talks on a deal in Gaza, with talks expected to continue for a second day, Egypt’s state-linked Al-Qahera News reported, citing a high-level source.

While Qatar has not publicly commented on the meeting, a senior Hamas official confirmed to Al Jazeera that its delegation in Egypt is meeting “the Egyptian and Qatari brothers and to present the movement’s vision.”

Talks in Paris last month between officials from Qatar, Egypt, the U.S., and Israel ended with a framework deal, entailing a six-week pause that would enable the release of the remaining 130 captives.

Israel accepted the terms of the framework deal over the weekend and it would materialise if Hamas agrees to it, Axios reported on Saturday, citing a U.S. official.

A senior Hamas official also told AFP on Sunday that a truce was possible within “24 to 48 hours” if Israel accepts its terms, which include the return of displaced Palestinians and entry of aid into Gaza.