아프리카ㆍ중동

Hamas’s brutal October 7 attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza have shone a spotlight on the rising role in regional and international politics of a small Gulf state: Qatar. Since the conflict began, the country has been engaged in high-profile efforts to mediate a truce between Israel and Hamas and to negotiate deals to free the civilian hostages taken by Hamas, as well as evacuate foreign nationals from Gaza. As a country that enjoys generally good relations with both its Arab neighbors and most Western countries, Qatar in many ways finds itself in an enviable position. But it must also manage a difficult balancing act.