Qatar reassessing its role as mediator between Israel and Hamas, says PM
Israel-Hamas War
Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Wednesday (Apr 17) told a Doha news conference that the nation is reassessing its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas after suffering criticism.
Al Thani said, "There is exploitation and abuse of the Qatari role."
He further added that Qatar had been the victim of "point-scoring" by "politicians who are trying to conduct election campaigns by slighting the State of Qatar".
The Qatari prime minister, who is also the foreign minister, said there was a "misuse of this mediation for narrow political interests, and this necessitated Qatar to undertake a full evaluation of this role".
World leaders are calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
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The war is now spreading to other regions, escalating tensions in West Asia, especially after Iran's first-ever direct attack on its arch-foe Israel this weekend.
Qatar has been engaged in weeks of behind-the-scenes talks aiming to secure a truce in Gaza, in which the United States and Egypt have also assisted. But the latest comment from the Qatari PM has emerged as a major setback.
Also read:Israel targeting refugee camps? 11, including children, dead in airstrike on Al-Maghazi refugee camp
Earlier in the day, Sheikh Mohammed said negotiations had stalled. The Qatari premier said, "We are going through a sensitive stage with some stalling, and we are trying as much as possible to address this stalling."
He said that Doha had "warned from the beginning of this war against the expansion of the circle of conflict, and today we see conflicts on different fronts".
"We constantly call on the international community to assume its responsibilities and stop this war," he added. He further said that the people of Gaza faced "siege and starvation" with humanitarian aid being used as a "tool for political blackmail".
Watch:Israel vs Iran: Which country will the Arab nations support?
Israel-Hamas war
The Israel-Hamas war began when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that resulted in about 1,170 deaths, mostly civilians, as per Israeli official figures.
Israel's military has waged a retaliatory offensive against Hamas that has killed 33,899 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
(With inputs from agencies)