Egypt Daily News – On Thursday, Qatar officially denied the claims of “paying money to undermine Egypt’s role in mediating between Israel and Hamas.” These claims come amid an Israeli investigation into suspected illegal ties between senior aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar, a case referred to as “Qatar Gate.”
An Israeli court extended the initial detention of Netanyahu’s closest advisor Yonatan Urish and his former assistant Eli Fieldstein for three more days last Tuesday. The court stated that their release “would hinder the investigation into their alleged involvement in managing public relations for Qatar.”
The judge noted that a review of the classified materials presented raised “reasonable suspicions that an American company had contacted one of the suspects to spread negative messages about Egypt and downplay its role in mediation efforts to release all hostages held by Hamas since its October 7, 2023 attack and to reach a permanent ceasefire.”
Court documents reveal that the prosecution suspects that Urish and Fieldstein received bribes and “worked to convey messages to journalists in a manner that promoted articles sympathetic to Qatar in the media, thereby diminishing Egypt’s role as a neutral mediator and pushing an agenda in the media.”
In response, the Qatari Media Office issued a statement expressing “strong condemnation” of media claims suggesting that Qatar had paid money to reduce Egypt’s efforts in the mediation between Hamas and Israel.
Qatar reiterated that these claims are baseless and serve only to advance agendas aimed at undermining mediation efforts and destabilizing relations between fraternal nations. Qatar also criticized the ongoing misinformation campaign, which it believes distracts from the humanitarian suffering and the politicization of the war.
It further warned that such actions serve projects aimed solely at sabotaging mediation efforts and exacerbating the suffering of the Palestinian people.
The statement continued: “Qatar remains committed to its humanitarian and diplomatic role in mediating between the concerned parties to end this catastrophic war. It works closely and continuously with Egypt to enhance opportunities for achieving a permanent ceasefire and protecting civilian lives.”
Qatar praised “Egypt’s pivotal role in this important issue,” noting that daily cooperation and coordination between the two nations are ensuring the success of their joint mediation efforts aimed at stabilizing the region.
Qatar emphasized that mediation efforts must remain free from any attempts at politicization or distortion, with the priority being to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, protect civilians, and achieve a just and sustainable settlement based on the two-state solution.
