The political office of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Doha has not been permanently closed, Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said on Tuesday. Earlier this month Reuters quoted a US official saying Washington had asked Qatar to expel the group and that Doha had passed this message on to Hamas. Al-Ansari said the Hamas office had been created to facilitate mediation efforts to end the Gaza war.For the latest updates on the Israel-Palestine conflict, visit our dedicated page. “Obviously, when there is no mediation process, the office itself doesn’t have any function other than being part of the process,” he said. Al-Ansari said any decision to close down the office permanently is a decision “that you will hear about from us directly, and shouldn’t be part of media speculation.” Qatar has been working alongside the United States and Egypt for months on fruitless negotiations to end the