Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani reportedly urged Iranian leaders to refrain from attacking Israel during ongoing negotiations over the Gaza conflict, citing the progress made in the talks. According to sources cited by The Washington Post, the Qatari leadership believes that any Iranian military action against Israel could jeopardize the progress achieved during two days of consultations in Doha.
The Qatari prime minister emphasized the importance of maintaining a calm environment during the talks and warned Tehran of the potential serious consequences of escalating the situation at this critical moment. An unnamed Israeli official also acknowledged the progress made on the first day of the negotiations, giving the Israeli delegation reason to continue the discussions in Doha.
The discussions, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, began on August 15 with the goal of achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas. Although Hamas initially stated that its delegation would not participate directly in the Doha talks, US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel indicated that representatives of the Palestinian movement would be involved in the consultations in some capacity.
These talks come at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, particularly following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas' politburo, in Tehran, and the killing of Fuad Shukr, a Hezbollah military commander, in Beirut. Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for these incidents and have vowed to respond, although Israel has not officially commented on Haniyeh's death.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS