The US State Department defends Qatar as a mediator in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, after a recording of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticizing the Gulf state’s role as “problematic.”
During the daily press briefing, deputy spokesman Vedant Patel is asked if Netanyahu’s remarks set back talks on a new hostage release deal, after Qatar said it was “appalled” by them.
“I don’t have any assessment to offer on those comments or some of the audio that’s been circulating,” Patel says. “What I can just say — and I spoke a little bit about this yesterday — is that Qatar has been an integral, irreplaceable, key regional partner, not just as it relates to this current ongoing conflict, but other priorities that the United States has had in the region.”
“We’ll look forward to continuing to deepen our partnership with them and work with them on a number of key issues,” he adds.
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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 25, 2024
