Qatar is once again in the middleman's chair, mediating negotiations for the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7 attack on Israel. The tiny Islamic emirate in the Middle East has played this role in cases related to many conflicts in recent years - from Afghanistan to Russia. But the Israel-Hamas war has backed Doha into a corner. On the one hand, Qatar is under pressure from western allies to get the hostages released quickly. An escalation of the conflict does not suit Doha economically as well. On the other hand, such a move can endanger Qatar's strategic positioning in the region for the current conflict, and beyond. Listen to the full episode here.