Qatar on Wednesday criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he was heard in a recording that was published on Israeli TV criticizing Doha's mediation efforts in the talks to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Channel 12 News on Tuesday published a recording of Netanyahu, during a meeting with families of hostages, in which the Prime Minister was heard criticizing Qatar for not doing enough to pressure Hamas.
"You don't hear me thanking Qatar....it is because in many ways it is more problematic [than the UN and the Red Cross]," Netanyahu told the families in the recording.
Dr. Majed Al Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded on Wednesday and said in a statement posted to X, “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 following a successful mediation last year that led to the release of more than a hundred hostage, Qatar has been engaged in regular dialogue with the negotiating parties including Israeli institutions, attempting to establish the framework for a new hostage agreement and the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” he added.
“If the reported remarks are found to be true, the Israeli PM would only be obstructing and undermining the mediation process, for reasons that appear to serve his political career instead of prioritizing saving innocent lives, including Israeli hostages.”
“Instead of concerning himself with Qatar’s strategic relations with the United States, we hope Netanyahu decides to operate in good faith and concentrate on the release of the hostages,” the spokesperson concluded.
Netanyahu has not commented thus far on the Qatari statement, but Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich fired back in a post on X on Wednesday night.
“Qatar is a country that supports terrorism and finances terrorism. It is the patron of Hamas and is largely responsible for the massacre of Israeli citizens committed by Hamas. The West's attitude towards it is hypocritical and based on unacceptable economic interests. The West can and should exert much stronger levers on it and bring about the release of the hostages immediately,” wrote Smotrich.
“One thing is clear: Qatar will not be involved at all in what happens in Gaza the day after the war,” he added.