DOHA: Qatar's suspension of its crucial mediation between Israel and Hamas has crushed hopes for a long-stalled truce in the Gaza war and hostage release deal. The wealthy Gulf country hosts the largest United States base in the Middle East and Hamas' political office, and has played a pivotal role in indirect talks since the Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war. The negotiations offered the only hope for freeing Israeli hostages held by Hamas and ending a war that has left 43,603