According to an Agence France-Presse report on the 25th, Qatar said on Wednesday that it was "shocked" by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's remarks. Previously, Netanyahu said in a leaked recording that Qatar's role as a mediator in the Gaza war was "problematic."
At a meeting with the hostage families this week, Netanyahu accused Qatar of funding Hamas and said he was disturbed by the U.S. decision to extend its military base in Qatar, according to information disclosed by Israeli media.
Qatar, along with Egypt and the United States, was a mediator in November's week-long truce between Israel and Hamas, which resulted in the release of 105 hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s file picture source: Israeli media
Netanyahu said in a recording: “You can’t hear me say thank you to Qatar...They are basically no different from the United Nations or the Red Cross. , is even more problematic. I have no illusions about them."
"They have the means to put pressure (on Hamas). Why? Because they fund them (Hamas)," Netanyahu said. He also said he was "very angry" about Washington's decision to renew its military base agreement with Qatar.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majid Ansari said in a statement on the 24th that Qatar was "shocked" by the Israeli Prime Minister's remarks. "These comments, if confirmed, would be irresponsible and damaging to efforts to save innocent lives, but are not surprising," the statement said.
Qatar remains involved in negotiations aimed at reaching a new hostage agreement. Majid Ansari said Netanyahu's comments were detrimental to these efforts. "If the reported remarks are true, the Israeli prime minister will only hinder and undermine the mediation process, and the reason is that it seems to benefit his political career, not Prioritize saving innocent lives, including Israeli hostages.”
Source: Global Times
