Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said on Tuesday that mediation efforts are part of the Qatari identity and nothing would deter its role in that regard, hours after Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha.
Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Reuters/Ibraheem Al Omari
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said on Tuesday that mediation efforts are part of the Qatari identity and nothing would deter its role in that regard, hours after Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha.
Doha, along with Cairo and Washington, has been a key mediator between Israel and Hamas during the war in Gaza.
"Qatar has spared no efforts and will do everything it can to stop this war in Gaza, but for current talks, I do not think there's something valid right now after what we saw from today's attack," al-Thani said at a news conference.
He blamed Israel for sabotaging what he said were chances for peace, sharply criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whom he said practiced "state terrorism".
Netanyahu has said the attack was "entirely justified" and was ordered after an attack in Jerusalem and the loss of four Israeli soldiers in Gaza.
Al-Thani said U.S. officials first warned Qatar of the Israeli attack 10 minutes after it began, describing the strike as "100% treacherous."
"Qatar reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack and will take all necessary measures to respond," he added, saying a legal team has been formed to handle the Gulf country's response to the attack.
Qatar has always supported Hamas, as well as many other terrorist organizations around the world.
Its money-driven diplomacy allows it to exert influence over these movements and secure mediation successes — a prestige bonus for a country seeking respectability.
For many observers, however, this murky game is cause for concern.
Reporting by Yomna Ehab and Jaidaa Taha
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Lebanon and Israel began a new round of talks on Tuesday in Washington, with Beirut determined to press ahead with direct negotiations even as they appear to be overshadowed by Iran's decision to make Lebanon part of its talks with the U.S.
Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf declared this week that the United States and Iran would jointly "guarantee Lebanon's unity and the integrity of its territories."
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