The State of Qatar has expressed its strong condemnation of “media statements that allege payments were made to diminish the efforts of our sister nation, Egypt, or any of the mediators in the mediation process between Hamas and Israel.”
Qatar, in a statement issued by its International Media Office on Thursday, asserted that “these allegations are baseless and only serve agendas aimed at disrupting mediation efforts and undermining relations between brotherly nations.”
Qatar considered these “claims” to be “a new episode in a series of misinformation and distraction from the humanitarian suffering and the ongoing politicization of the war” in the Gaza Strip, warning “against these individuals sliding towards serving projects whose sole purpose is to thwart mediation and increase the suffering of our brothers in Palestine.”
The statement mentioned that “the State of Qatar remains committed to its humanitarian and diplomatic role in mediating between the concerned parties to end this catastrophic war and is working closely and continuously with our brothers in the Arab Republic of Egypt to enhance the chances of achieving a lasting calm and protecting civilian lives.”
Qatar praised “the pivotal role of our brothers in the Arab Republic of Egypt in this important issue,” noting that cooperation and coordination are taking place daily between the two sides to ensure the success of joint mediation efforts aimed at achieving stability in the region.
Qatar reiterated its emphasis that “mediation efforts must remain free from any attempts at politicization or distortion, and that the priority remains alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people, protecting civilians, and achieving a just and sustainable settlement based on the two-state solution.”
In recent days, Israeli media outlets reported accusations that advisors in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office received funds from Qatar to release information that would distort Egypt’s role in the mediation between Hamas and Israel, in exchange for praising Qatar’s role.
Last Monday, Israeli police announced the arrest of two suspects for questioning in the “Qatar Gate” affair. The suspects are Prime Minister Netanyahu’s advisor Yonatan Urich and the former spokesperson for his office, Eli Feldstein.
The suspicions against Feldstein and Urich involve contact with a foreign agent, bribery, breach of trust, and tax offenses, some of which, according to police sources, have been strengthened in recent days.
