Qatari PM: Israel’s operation in Rafah, contradicting remarks by officials harmed ceasefire efforts

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani indicates that steps taken by Israel over the past month harmed efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.

Asked during a Doha press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken whether Qatar should be putting more pressure on Hamas in order to reach a deal, Al Thani says pressure must be placed on both sides.

After Blinken placed much of the honus on Hamas for the war dragging out, Al Thani notes Israel’s invasion of Rafah along with “contradicting statements from different Israeli officials” and argues that they, therefore, demonstrate the need to pressure Israel as well.

Earlier in the presser, he accused Israel of advancing a policy of “collective punishment” and “starvation” in Gaza.

Pressed whether Qatar will consider closing Hamas’s office in Doha, Al Thani reiterates that the bureau was established to create a channel of communication with the terror group.

“Until now, this reason is valid, and we are using this as a communication channel,” he continues.

“Our interest as a country is to see peace and stability in the region. It doesn’t be that we are endorsing one party over another. Our policy is very clear — it’s supporting the Palestinian people and their rights, but at the end of the day, we are a state, we are not a political party,” Al Thani says.

Blinken privately told Al Thani in April that Doha should expel Hamas’s leaders if they continue rejecting hostage deal proposals, a US official said.

Several weeks later, Qatar quietly ordered Hamas leaders to leave Doha, then allowed them to return when hostage negotiations picked up again in May, two officials told The Times of Israel.

Hamas officials have remained in Qatar since those negotiations fell apart, but a source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel that Doha is still prepared to formally and publicly oust Hamas’s leaders if an official request to do so is made by the Biden administration.

The US is weighing its desire to squeeze Hamas to agree to a hostage deal against its concern that the terror group could move to another country that is less swayed by Washington’s interests, the source said.