While standing beside Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani criticized Israel for allegedly failing to uphold the terms of a ceasefire and hostage agreement that Qatar helped facilitate earlier this year.
“As you know, we reached an agreement months ago, but unfortunately, Israel did not abide by this agreement,” said Al-Thani. He added that his country remains committed to “strive to bridge perspectives in order to reach an agreement that ends the suffering of the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza.”
Putin, who met the day prior with an Israeli-Russian citizen released from Hamas captivity as part of the earlier ceasefire deal, praised Qatar’s diplomatic efforts. “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.”
He went on to underscore his long-standing position that any lasting peace can only be achieved through a two-state framework. “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 original ceasefire deal followed over a year of ongoing conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 others. The first stage of the agreement, which lasted 42 days, ended on March 2. Israel declined to proceed to the second phase, which would have required a full military withdrawal from Gaza, prompting the resumption of combat on March 18 with widespread airstrikes across the territory.
Neither Moscow nor Doha classifies Hamas as a terrorist group. Qatar, a key backer of Hamas that provides sanctuary to its senior leadership, worked with Egypt and the United States to broker the deal and continues to be involved in ongoing mediation efforts.
Meanwhile, reports have emerged accusing members of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s inner circle of receiving money from Doha to promote Qatar’s role as a peace facilitator, possibly to the detriment of Egypt, whose relationship with Hamas remains strained.
In an interview aired on the Christian network Daystar, Netanyahu addressed Qatar’s involvement in both the ceasefire and broader regional issues. “Qatar had recently helped us with… the temporary ceasefire, but they were hosting these Hamas terrorists.”
Netanyahu also voiced strong disapproval of Qatar’s financial influence on American universities and its sponsorship of Al Jazeera, which he claims fuels hostility against Israel and the U.S. “Unfortunately, Qatar was doing this,” said Netanyahu. “Al Jazeera, too, in Arabic, is promoting this anti-Americanism and anti-Zionism, which is weaved together.”
He called for a definitive stance from Qatar. “Qatar has to choose,” said Netanyahu. Quoting Israel’s new ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, he 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.”
During Thursday’s remarks with Putin, Al-Thani also stated his desire to deepen ties between Qatar and Russia. He mentioned that Ahmed al-Sharaa, the newly installed Syrian leader backed by Qatar, shared this goal after taking power from the Assad regime late last year.
“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.”
Al-Thani’s message comes at a delicate time for the Kremlin, as Russia seeks to preserve access to its military installations in Syria and maintain regional clout following Bashar al-Assad’s departure to Moscow.
Putin acknowledged the urgency of stabilizing Syria amid ongoing sectarian unrest. “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.”
{Matzav.com}