Qatar's Father Amir Hamad, Doha Hamas Mediation Architect, Dies at 74

The Amiri Diwan announced Sunday morning July 12 that Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar's Father Amir, died at 74. Sheikh Hamad ruled Qatar from 1995 until his 2013 abdication to son Sheikh Tamim, transforming Doha into a top LNG exporter, launching Al Jazeera in 1996 and securing the 2022 World Cup, while cultivating ties with Iran, Hamas and other regional actors. The Hamas political bureau relocated to Doha under his rule, and Qatar has since served as the principal foreign patron of the Hamas leadership Israel targeted in the September 2025 Doha strike. Qatar continues to host the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base and has led every Israel-Hamas hostage and ceasefire negotiation of the past decade.