Qatar announced late Saturday that reports claiming its withdrawal from mediation efforts for a Gaza ceasefire are “inaccurate.” The Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed bin Mohammed Al-Ansari, clarified that Qatar informed parties involved in the latest negotiations over ten days ago that it would suspend mediation efforts if an agreement was not reached.
Al-Ansari explained, “Qatar has communicated that mediation efforts will resume with partners only when the necessary seriousness to end the brutal war and alleviate civilian suffering in Gaza’s dire humanitarian situation is present.” He also emphasized that when the time is right, Qatar will lead positive efforts to end the conflict and secure the return of hostages and prisoners.
The spokesperson further asserted, “Qatar will not allow mediation to be a tool for exploitation. We have seen instances of manipulation since the collapse of the initial truce and the women-and-children prisoner exchange, with commitments abandoned and negotiations used as a cover to justify ongoing warfare for narrow political aims.”
Reaffirming Qatar’s strong stance on the Palestinian cause, Al-Ansari reiterated, “Qatar is unwavering in its support for the Palestinian people to achieve their rights, foremost among them an independent state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
Al-Ansari also addressed media speculation regarding Hamas’s office in Doha, clarifying that it serves as a communication channel for mediation. He noted that this channel facilitated several past ceasefires and contributed to prisoner exchanges, including one in November last year involving women and children hostages.
Qatar’s mediation, alongside Egypt and the United States, has spanned months of unproductive discussions between Hamas and Israel for a lasting ceasefire in the ongoing Gaza conflict.
