Hamas leaders are planning to leave Qatar for Iraq, due to Washington's insistence that Qatar increase pressure on the terror group to agree to a prisoner swap deal. According to The National , the Iraqi government has approved the move, as well as the opening of new Hamas offices in Baghdad. The report noted that Iran will take responsibility for the safety of the Hamas officials in Iraq. In recent weeks, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh held talks with officials in Iran and Iraq, consulting about that matter, which United Arab Emirates reports say is expected to come to fruition. Related articles: 'I wanted to help; they violated my freedom of press' Investigated editor breaks out in tears in interview Qatar comments on affair, makes no mention of PM's staff We must get rid of Qatar, it's a dangerous entity In April , Israel Hayom reported that Qatar was supposed to announce that if Hamas did not progress towards a prisoner swap deal, its leaders should have been removed from Doha by the Qatari authorities - but Qatar failed to keep its commitment on this. Qatar was also supposed to freeze some of the Hamas leaders' bank accounts. These steps were agreed on by Qatar and US representatives, as part of efforts to pressure Hamas to agree to the Egyptian proposal for a prisoner swap and ceasefire deal. However, the Qataris did not keep their commitments, nor did they explain their failure to do so to the US sources who asked about the matter.
