The stance of Israel's leadership is preventing the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, according to Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
“Qatar has been acting as a mediator since the beginning of the conflict. We've been working on this for over a year, but unfortunately, an agreement requires the consent of both sides. One of the sides is not willing to reach an agreement. No matter what we do as mediators, the result remains the same. You know the obstacles, and recently, the main obstacle has been the Israeli side,” he said in an interview with Qatar Television.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani emphasized that, despite Doha’s “consistent, clear, and well-known position” in support of the Palestinian people, Qatar acts “fairly and transparently” as a mediator between the parties involved in the Gaza conflict. He reiterated that Qatar will continue to make efforts to resolve the conflict.
Addressing concerns about Qatar's military base Al Udeid being used to support Israeli operations in Gaza, he clarified, “Qatar does not allow any attacks or wars against any people or countries, whether in the region or beyond, from its territory, including Al Udeid base or any other sites.” Al Udeid is the largest US military base in the Middle East. The politician stressed that while Qatar and the US maintain a “strategic partnership at various levels,” this relationship does not affect the sovereign decisions of either Doha or Washington. “The US understands this and does not interfere in Qatar's internal affairs,” he added.
On January 3, CNN reported that the US had secretly extended its agreement with Qatar to operate the Al Udeid base for another 10 years, according to sources. The base also hosts contingents from Qatar and the United Kingdom’s air forces.
Negotiations Update
On August 15-16, talks aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and securing the release of hostages took place in Doha, involving representatives from Qatar, Egypt, and the US. During this round, Washington, with support from Doha and Cairo, presented a proposal that sought to bridge the gaps between Hamas and Israel. However, Hamas criticized the initiative, claiming it only served Israel's interests.
A subsequent round of talks was held in Cairo on August 25. Hamas representative Izzat al-Rishq stated that the movement’s delegation left Cairo after meetings with mediators from Egypt and Qatar. According to al-Rishq, Hamas again demanded that Israel comply with the conditions agreed upon on July 2. On September 17, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed bin Mohammed Al-Ansari, confirmed that there had been no significant progress in the consultations.
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Based on materials from TASS