The Qatari Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Majed Al Ansari responded on Saturday evening to what he called “inflammatory” statements issued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
Netanyahu’s office had previously stated that Israel had called on Qatar to “stop playing both sides with unclear rhetoric and decide whether it would stand with civilization or with Hamas.”
Ansari said that Qatar firmly rejects Netanyahu’s office statements, which “fall far short of the most basic standards of political and moral responsibility.”
He added that portraying the ongoing war on Gaza as a defense of “civilization” echoes the rhetoric of regimes throughout history that have used false narratives to justify crimes against innocent civilians.
“Since the outbreak of the war, the State of Qatar working in close coordination with its partners has made every effort to support mediation aimed at ending the fighting, protecting civilians, and securing the release of hostages,” Ansari said.
“A legitimate question must be raised: Were the releases of no fewer than 138 hostages achieved through so called “just” military operations, or through the very mediation that is now being unjustly criticized and undermined?,” he wondered.
“Meanwhile, the Palestinian people in Gaza are enduring one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of modern times marked by a suffocating blockade, systematic starvation, denial of medicine and shelter, and the use of humanitarian aid as a tool of political coercion. Is this truly the model of “civilization” being promoted?,” Ansari continued.
He said that “Qatar’s principled foreign policy is not at odds with its role as a credible and impartial mediator. Campaigns of distortion and political pressure will not deter Qatar from standing with oppressed peoples, defending the rights of civilians regardless of background, and upholding international law without selectivity or exception.”
Ansari stressed that “Qatar continues to work closely with both the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America to secure an immediate ceasefire, ensure the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid, and advance a just and lasting peace one grounded in justice and humanity, not violence and double standards.”
“Qatar reaffirms its unwavering belief that genuine peace can only be achieved through a comprehensive and just settlement based on international legitimacy one that ends the occupation and guarantees the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the establishment of an independent state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he concluded.
