Israel and Qatar exchange allegations over Netanyahu's criticism of the Doha mediation to release hostages
In the last few hours, Israel and Qatar have entered into a diplomatic conflict due to statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which, without knowing that he was recorded, he criticized the Qatari government's mediation work Hamas is trying to secure the release of the Israeli hostages . Qatar is dismayed by this criticism and considers Netanyahu's words “irresponsible and destructive” and shows that saving his political career is more important to him than saving innocent lives. Tensions between the two could affect mediation efforts to reach a ceasefire and release hostages held by Hamas.
Netanyahu said in a meeting with relatives of the hostages that Qatar's mediation was no different from that of the UN or the Red Cross because it was aimed at the Palestinians. And he called on the United States to put pressure on Qatar to use its influence on Hamas to release the hostages.
Hours later, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al Ansari released a statement saying it was not a “surprise.”
We are appalled by the Israeli Prime Minister's alleged comments in various media reports about Qatar's mediating role. If confirmed, these comments are irresponsible and destructive to efforts to save innocent lives, but they are not surprising.
For months and…
—د. More about Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) January 24, 2024
“For months, and following successful mediation last year that resulted in the release of more than a hundred hostages, Qatar has been in regular dialogue with negotiating parties, including Israeli institutions, trying to create a framework for a new agreement on the hostages and the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” says Al Ansari. With this in mind, he continues: “If the words [de Netanyahu] “If they prove true, the Israeli prime minister would only destroy and undermine the mediation process for reasons that appear to have more to do with his political career than prioritizing the preservation of innocent lives, including the lives of Israeli hostages admits.” “
Instead of worrying about Qatar's strategic relations with the United States, we hope that Netanyahu decides to act in good faith and focus on the release of the hostages,” Al Ansari concludes.
In response to Al Ansar, far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich blamed Doha, also in a message to Hamas on October 7.