Diplomatic tensions between 'Israel', Qatar as negotiations halted

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media +Social Media
24 Jan 2024 23:19

Qatari foreign ministry slams the Israeli prime minister for being lenient with Hamas in the negotiation and not exercising enough pressure.

Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani shakes hands with Israeli occupation President Isaac Herzog, UAE, Abu Dhabi, December 1, 2023 (social media)

Tensions have escalated between Qatar and "Israel" amid ongoing negotiations for the release of Israeli captives in Gaza. The Qatari government slammed Israeli Occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of jeopardizing the ongoing talks.

The crisis unfolded after Netanyahu criticized Qatar during a meeting with the families of the captives earlier this week, Israeli journalist Barak Ravid wrote on X. The Qatari government contends that such criticism could seriously undermine the delicate negotiations for the release of the hostages.

Ravid noted that the confrontation occurred at a crucial juncture while Qatar and Egypt were working to facilitate a breakthrough in negotiations between the Israeli occupation forces and the Palestinian resistance.

Israeli officials are claiming that Qatar is not exerting sufficient pressure on Hamas to secure flexibility and agreement on a new deal for the release of captives in Gaza, Ravid explains.

The rift deepened after Yaron Avraham, a Channel 12 presenter, published remarks attributed to Netanyahu, in which he had allegedly expressed dissatisfaction with the recent US-Qatar agreement signed a few weeks ago, extending the American military presence at a significant base in Qatar, Ravid adds.

In response to the critical remarks attributed to Netanyahu, a spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, Majed al-Ansari, strongly condemned Netanyahu's words, labeling them as irresponsible and harmful to efforts aimed at "saving lives."

We are appalled by the alleged remarks attributed to the Israeli Prime Minister in various media reports about Qatar’s mediation role. These remarks if validated, are irresponsible and destructive to the efforts to save innocent lives, but are not surprising.

For months, and…
— د. ماجد محمد الأنصاري Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) January 24, 2024

Al-Ansari said that if Netanyahu's statements turned out to be true, then the Prime Minister of "Israel" is himself placing an obstacle in the way of mediation efforts for political reasons instead of saving human lives, including Israeli captives.

Expressing dismay over Netanyahu's criticism of US-Qatar relations, the Qatari foreign ministry spokesman urged the Israeli Prime Minister to prioritize removing obstacles hindering the agreement to release captives. The spokesman emphasized that resolving the humanitarian crisis should take precedence over strategic considerations.

El-Sisi turns down Netanyahu call amid tensions over Philadelphi axis

Israeli news broadcaster Channel 13 reported on Wednesday that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi refused to coordinate a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to the broadcaster, the Israeli National Security Council, upon Netanyahu's request, attempted to coordinate a phone call with el-Sisi, but the latter did not respond.

A representative from Netanyahu's office confirmed these details, but no further comments were provided.

The broadcaster said that this rejection comes amid serious disagreements about potential courses of action along the Philadelphi axis in Rafah.

The last time Netanyahu and el-Sisi had a conversation was in June 2023, following an attack on the Egyptian border, just months before the war's outbreak.