EBN-Qatar has criticized Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, following his alleged disapproval of Qatar’s role as a mediator in the Gaza war, which he deemed “problematic” in a leaked recording.
During a meeting with captives’ families in Gaza, Netanyahu linked Hamas financing to Qatar and expressed dissatisfaction with the US extending its military base presence in Qatar, as reported by Israeli news outlet Channel 12. Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, called these comments irresponsible and detrimental if confirmed.
Qatar, along with Egypt, has engaged in negotiations for a Gaza truce and humanitarian aid. In November, it helped secure a weeklong pause, releasing over 100 captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Ongoing talks aim to secure a new deal for roughly 130 captives held by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.
Al-Ansari said Netanyahu’s leaked comments were detrimental to those efforts.
“If the reported remarks are found to be true, the Israeli PM would only be obstructing and undermining the mediation process, for reasons that appear to serve his political career instead of prioritizing saving innocent lives, including Israeli hostages,” he said.
‘No different from UN’
In the leaked comments, Netanyahu deliberately avoided expressing gratitude to Qatar for its mediation, stating that doing so could heighten pressure on Hamas. In the recording from Channel 12, Netanyahu allegedly remarked, “You don’t hear me thanking Qatar, which is essentially no different from the United Nations or Red Cross, and even more problematic. I have no illusions with regards to them.”
“They have the means to put pressure [on Hamas]. And why? Because they finance them,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu is under a lot of pressure from “all sides”, domestically and internationally, and “from people on the streets … to do more to bring back the captives”, Dekker said on Thursday.
“Qatar has stepped in many times, and Qatar has succeeded in mediating between Israelis and Hamas,” Barari said, calling the comments a sign of “desperation”.
“Netanyahu wants everyone to do things his own way. He fails on the battleground, he fails to convince his own people that he’s doing the right thing, and he wants to blame others and pass the buck for his failures on the Qataris,” he added.
Qatar, which has hosted the political leadership of Hamas, has in recent years sent millions of dollars in aid to the Hamas-run Gaza Strip in cooperation with the Israeli government “to try and keep the situation there from exploding … because of the restrictions and blockade”, Dekker reported.
Israel initiated a blockade on the Gaza Strip in 2007, exerting control over the movement of people and goods in and out of the area.
In response to al-Ansari’s remarks, Israel’s ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich accused Qatar of supporting terrorism, stating that Qatar, as the patron of Hamas, is significantly responsible for the harm caused by Hamas, including the killing of Israeli citizens. Members of Netanyahu’s far-right ruling coalition have advocated for an escalation of the Gaza war.
Netanyahu recently rejected a Hamas proposal to end the conflict, which included withdrawing Israeli forces, releasing prisoners, and accepting the governance of Gaza by the armed group.
Palestinian officials report a significant toll, with at least 25,700 people killed and over 63,000 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, when a Hamas attack in Israel led to the death of approximately 1,140 people.
