Patron,Broker,Ally: Qatar’s Multifaceted Role in the First Hostage Release Deal in the Israel–Hamas Conflict—A Touvalian Perspective on Mediation and Foreign Policy

This article analyses Qatar’s mediation during the November 2023 Israel–Hamas hostage negotiations, which secured a temporary ceasefire and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Applying Saadia Touval’s framework, the study argues that Qatar’s involvement was a calculated act of statecraft aimed at advancing its political goals. The analysis demonstrates that Qatar’s diplomatic decisions were driven by three intersecting imperatives: maintaining domestic legitimacy, reinforcing its regional indispensability and protecting its vital partnership with the United States. Using a single case study design, the research traces how these objectives guided Qatar’s crisis diplomacy, from agenda-setting to designing verification mechanisms. These findings contribute to the mediation theory by highlighting the linkage between a mediator’s political motivations and their tactical choices, providing the first systematic analysis of Qatar’s multifaceted role in this high-pressure conflict.