Qatar’s ruler tells Putin Israel didn’t abide by Gaza truce that Doha helped mediate
At joint press conference in Moscow, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani also says Syria’s new leader wants warmer ties with Kremlin after toppling Assad
Speaking alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Israel “did not abide by” the Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal that Doha helped broker in January.
“As you know, we reached an agreement months ago, but unfortunately, Israel did not abide by this agreement,” said Al-Thani, adding that Qatar would “strive to bridge perspectives in order to reach an agreement that ends the suffering of the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza.”
Putin, who on Wednesday hosted an Israeli-Russian ex-hostage released as part of the latest ceasefire, told the Qatari emir: “We know that Qatar is making very serious efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unfortunately, the initiatives put forward, including by you, have not been implemented — peaceful people continue to die in Palestine, which is an absolute tragedy of today.”
“A long-term settlement can only be achieved on the basis of the UN resolution, and, first of all, in connection with the establishment of two states,” said Putin.
The Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal came after 13 months of war sparked on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages. The agreement’s 42-day first phase expired on March 2 amid Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to negotiate the second phase, which would have required a full IDF withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel resumed hostilities on March 18 with a surprise series of massive airstrikes across the Strip.
Neither Russia nor Qatar designates Hamas as a terrorist organization. Qatar, which backs Hamas and hosts its top officials, mediated the ceasefire along with Egypt and the United States, and is involved in efforts to restore the truce.
Aides to Netanyahu are accused of being paid by Doha to boost its image as a peacemaker, at the expense of Egypt, which has tense relations with Hamas.
Qatar has to choose a side
In an interview with a White House religious affairs adviser, which was broadcast last week on US Christian network Daystar, Netanyahu said Qatar had “recently helped us with… the temporary ceasefire, but they were hosting these Hamas terrorists.”
Netanyahu also accused Qatar of fomenting anti-American and anti-Zionist “rot” on US college campuses. The Gulf State has contributed billions of dollars to US campuses over the past three decades, and funds the Al Jazeera news network, whose reporting is highly critical of Israel.
“Unfortunately, Qatar was doing this,” said Netanyahu. “Al Jazeera, too, in Arabic, is promoting this anti-Americanism and anti-Zionism, which is weaved together.”
“Qatar has to choose,” said Netanyahu. Citing Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s new ambassador to the US, the premier added: “You can’t fund the arsonists and the firefighters at the same time.”
“If that choice is made stark and clear, I think it will help everyone,” the premier said. “It will help everyone in the Middle East, everyone in the world, and it will help, also, get the facts straight.”
New Syrian leader wants closer ties with Kremlin, Qatari emir says
In the press conference with Putin on Thursday, Al-Thani said Qatar aims to improve relations with Russia. He said Syria’s new Qatar-backed leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was also keen to build ties with Moscow after having toppled Russian- and Iranian-backed Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in December.
“A few days ago, President al-Sharaa was in Qatar, and we spoke with him about the historical and strategic relationship between Syria and Russia,” said Al-Thani. “He is keen on building a relationship between the two countries based on mutual respect.”
The assurance comes as Putin attempts to retain Russia’s use of two military bases in Syria and avoid a serious blow to its strategic influence in the region following the ouster of Assad, who fled to Moscow.
Putin said the development of the situation in Syria, which has been rocked by sectarian violence in recent weeks, was of serious importance.
“We would like to do everything to ensure that Syria, firstly, remains a sovereign, independent and territorially integral state, and we would like to discuss with you the possibility of providing assistance to the Syrian people, including humanitarian assistance,” Putin told the emir. “There are many problems there: political, security, and purely economic.”
Both sides have said the two leaders will also talk about efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Qatar has made a series of attempts to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, and has helped arrange the return of children from both countries who were separated from their parents during the war.
The Times of Israel Community.