DOHA: Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Wednesday said that Qatar is re-evaluating its role as a mediator between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
Speaking at a press conference held in Doha with his Turkish counterpart, Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani stated that Qatar is reassessing its mediation role in light of the damage caused by criticism. “Qatar is in the process of a complete re-evaluation of its role because there has been damage to Qatar,” he said.
“Unfortunately, there has been misuse of such mediation and to exploit things such as mediation for a narrow political interest,” he added. “This has led the state of Qatar to re-evaluate the entire situation.”
Qatar has been actively involved in mediating negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitating the release of Israeli hostages. However, recent criticism and accusations have prompted Qatar to reconsider its role.
Prime Minister Al Thani reiterated Qatar’s commitment to mediation on a humanitarian basis but emphasized that there has been “abuse and harm” related to Qatar’s involvement. He criticized certain parties for making “destructive” statements against Qatar.
The announcement comes in the wake of comments made by US lawmaker Steny Hoyer, who suggested that the US would reassess its ties with Qatar if it did not pressure Hamas to accept a ceasefire proposal put forward by Israel.
In response to the criticism, the Qatari Embassy in Washington, DC, denounced Hoyer’s comments as “not constructive” and emphasized the importance of continued engagement in mediation efforts.
