The Qatar government has urged for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, aiming to halt the attacks carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels on maritime traffic in the strategic waters of the Red Sea, which have notably disrupted hydrocarbon deliveries.
Saad al-Kaabi, Qatar's Minister of Energy and CEO of the state-owned hydrocarbon giant QatarEnergy, emphasized that the "root of the problem" in the Red Sea was the "Israeli invasion of Gaza." Speaking at a press conference held during the inauguration of a mega petrochemical plant on Qatar's northeast coast, he expressed hope for a prompt ceasefire to end the attacks and their global economic impact.
Several companies, including QatarEnergy, have opted to reroute their vessels thousands of kilometers around the southern tip of Africa to bypass the Red Sea. "This will increase costs, delays, and constraints on deliveries," highlighted Mr. Kaabi, warning of long-term repercussions on shipping movements and volumes transferred annually.
In response to the Houthi attacks, the United States established a multinational maritime protection force in the Red Sea in December, named "Prosperity Guardian." However, despite repeated airstrikes by the US and the UK on Houthi targets, they have failed to halt the Yemeni rebels' attacks.
Saad al-Kaabi forgets to mention that the Houthis are controlled by Iran, which uses this militia as a tool for destabilization in the region.
The Hamas Political Bureau is based in Qatar.