The office of the Israeli Prime Minister called on Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, to stop playing both sides with its double talk and decide if it’s on the side of civilization or if it’s on the side of Hamas.
Qatar, however, rejected the statements it described as inflammatory.
Neither Israel nor Hamas has shown willingness to back down on core demands, despite efforts by Egyptian and Qatari mediators to restore a ceasefire, with each side blaming the other for the failure to reach a deal.
Israel, which wants the return of 59 hostages still held in Gaza, has insisted Hamas must disarm and be excluded from any role in the future governance of the enclave, a condition that Hamas rejected.
It has insisted on agreeing a lasting end to the fighting and withdrawal of Israeli forces as a condition for a deal that would see to the release of the hostages.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari posted on X early on Sunday, saying that the State of Qatar firmly rejects the inflammatory statements issued by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, which fall far short of the most basic standards of political and moral responsibility.
Al-Ansari faulted the portrayal of the Gaza conflict as a defense of civilization, likening it to historical regimes that used “false narratives to justify crimes against civilians.”;
Al-Ansari, in his post, questioned whether the release of 138 hostages was achieved through military operations or mediation efforts, which he said are being unjustly criticized and undermined.
The foreign ministry spokesperson also cited the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza represented by what he called a suffocating blockade, systematic starvation, denial of medicine and shelter, and the use of humanitarian aid as a tool of political coercion.
Israel’s security cabinet on Friday approved plans for an expanded operation in the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Friday, adding to signs that attempts to stop the fighting and return hostages held by Hamas have made no progress.
Its campaign was triggered by the devastating Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, that killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and saw 251 taken hostage.
It has so far reportedly killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and devastated Gaza where aid groups have warned the Israeli blockade risks a humanitarian disaster.
