On October 7, as Hamas gunmen rampaged across southern Israel, a group of middle-aged men in a luxury suite in Doha, Qatar gathered in front of a camera.
Hamas leaders, led by Ismail Haniyeh, recorded themselves showing surprise about the attacks from the news on a large-screen television, and then kneeling to give thanks to Allah for the success of the operation.
This episode served as a reminder that while innocent civilians in Gaza die in their hundreds from aerial bombing and tens of thousands more are rendered homeless, Hamas's leaders exist above the fray in air-conditioned comfort 2,000 kilometres away as guests of Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
But they are not the only guests of Qatar.
Just a few minutes drive away from the hotels and villas housing Hamas leaders is Al-Udaid Air Base, home to the U.S. military's Central Command. Washington's relationship with Qatar is so close that last year the White House officially designated the tiny emirate a "Major Non-NATO Ally" of the United States.
For a small country with fewer than half a million citizens, Qatar manages to squeeze in a lot of contradictions.
On Monday evening, according to the government of Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a phone conversation with Qatar's Emir Al-Thani.
Those who cover Canadian foreign relations have learned not to give much weight to Ottawa's anodyne readouts (descriptions of official calls), which often omit important information and are sometimes misleading. The account from the Qatari side is equally opaque.
Neither the Canadian government readout nor the Qatari one mention anyone raising the presence of Hamas' leadership in Qatar during the call...
