Egypt Daily News – The State of Qatar announced that its mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel are currently suspended.
However, the spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majid Al-Ansari, stated in remarks to the Qatar News Agency that the circulating reports about Qatar withdrawing from mediation regarding the ceasefire in Gaza are not accurate.
He added that Qatar informed the parties ten days ago, during the last attempts to reach an agreement, that it would suspend its mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel if no agreement was reached in that round, and that it would resume those efforts with partners when the necessary seriousness to end the brutal war and the ongoing suffering of civilians due to the catastrophic humanitarian conditions in the sector was available.
In this context, he affirmed that the State of Qatar will be at the forefront at that time, making every commendable effort to end the war and secure the release of detainees and prisoners.
He emphasized that the State of Qatar will not accept mediation being used as a means of blackmail, saying: “We have witnessed the collapse of the first truce and the manipulation of the exchange deal for women and children, especially in the retreat from commitments agreed upon through mediation, and the exploitation of the continuation of negotiations to justify the continuation of the war for precise political purposes.”
Al-Ansari reaffirmed the State of Qatar’s steadfast commitment to supporting the Palestinian people until they achieve all their rights, foremost among them their independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, emphasizing the centrality of the Palestinian cause to Qatar.
He pointed out that the reports regarding Hamas’s office in Doha are inaccurate, affirming that the primary purpose of the office’s existence is to serve as a communication channel between the concerned parties.
He pointed out that this channel has achieved a ceasefire in several previous stages and contributed to maintaining the calm, leading to the exchange of prisoners and detainees, including women and children, in November of last year, emphasizing in this context the necessity of obtaining information from official sources.
A knowledgeable official previously told Reuters that Qatar would withdraw from mediation efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas and Israel show a sincere willingness to return to the negotiating table.
According to Reuters, this step represents the biggest setback to efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire since the outbreak of the war on Gaza.
The official added that Qatar has also concluded that Hamas’s political office in Doha is no longer serving its purpose.
The official said, “The Qataris have been saying since the beginning of the conflict that they cannot mediate unless both parties show a genuine interest in finding a solution.”
