“It is axiomatic that if the U.S. wants to investigate in how to be helpful in the region whether in Lebanon or North Africa, we start with Qatar,” he stated, reinforcing Qatar’s role as a reliable and important partner to U.S. diplomatic missions in the region and beyond. 

When asked about Qatar’s relationship with Hamas, Davis explained that “it is because of Qatar that we were able to get into ceasefire negotiations with Hamas,” noting Qatar’s key role in facilitating dialogue. 

H.E. Davis said that while there are certain entities the U.S. would never directly negotiate with, dialogue is still necessary, and for that, trusted partners, such as Qatar, are essential. 

He also noted that Hamas is not in a strong negotiating position and that the future would involve disarmament. He added that the U.S. and European partners would fully support another Palestinian entity capable of governing, “that doesn’t include Hamas.” 

Commenting on the October 7 events, H.E. said that there has been a notable shift in the U.S. and European focus and that “the interest and prosperity of the Palestinian people” is of priority during peace negotiations. 

Held under the patronage of H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar—the Global Security Forum continues to provide a platform for high-level dialogue on the evolving impact of non-state actors and global security challenges. For more information and to stream the event live, please visit globalsecurityforum.com and follow @TheSoufanCenter, @GSECFORUM, @QIASSQATAR #GSF2025.