Earlier, Sheikh Mohammed said that the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas reached a “delicate phase.”
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani called out the “exploitation and abuse” of the Gulf state’s mediation role between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday.
“Unfortunately, we have seen that there is a misuse of this mediation for narrow political interests, and this necessitated the State of Qatar to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of this role[…] and evaluate how all parties engage in this mediation,” Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Qatar’s foreign minister, said.
The top Qatari official’s remarks came during a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the Diwan Annex in Doha.
Sheikh Mohammed’s comments come after U.S. Democratic Congressman Steny Hoyer criticised Doha’s mediation role on Monday and threatened to “re-evaluate” the ties between Washington and Doha.
The Qatari Embassy in Washington hit back at Hoyer’s inflammatory comments, which it said were surprising and not “constructive.”
“Qatar is only a mediator — we do not control Israel or Hamas. Israel and Hamas are entirely responsible for reaching an agreement,” the Qatari embassy said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Gulf diplomatic power has been on the receiving end of criticism by U.S. and Israeli officials since it began its mediation process in the wake of Israel’s war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
This is despite Doha’s crucial role in mediating the release of more than 100 captives from Hamas last year.
Qatar also opened the Hamas political bureau back in 2012 based on Washington’s request to maintain channels of communication.
“There is exploitation and abuse of the Qatari role. This abuse is unacceptable,” Sheikh Mohammed told the press in Doha.
“It is unacceptable for us to be told anything in closed rooms, and outside, they start issuing statements that are unfortunately destructive and do not contribute positively,” he added.
Earlier, Sheikh Mohammed said that the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas reached a “delicate phase.”
“We are trying as much as possible to address this stumbling block,” he added during a press conference in the afternoon with Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu at the Amiri Diwan.
Qatar-Turkiye reiterate calls to end Gaza war
During the joint press conference, the Qatari and Turkish officials stressed the need to end the war in Gaza.
The war has entered its seventh month without a ceasefire in sight and with nearly 34,000 people killed by Israel.
Fidan also called on “those who provide unconditional support” to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “reconsider their position” while referring to Washington’s backing of Tel Aviv.
Despite maintaining ties with Israel, Turkiye has been a vocal critic of Netanyahu for his ongoing crimes in Gaza.
Fidan’s statement echoed his previous remarks during a press conference in Doha on October 25, 2023, displaying an unwavering stance towards Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The top Turkish official’s visit this time came amid growing regional tensions, especially following the exchanged attacks between Israel and rival Iran.
Iran launched an attack on Israel on Saturday night in retaliation for the bombing of its consulate in Damascus on April 1. The Israeli attack killed seven members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, including two generals.
Qatar and Turkiye had called for restraint following Iran’s retaliatory move.
Sheikh Mohammed said he also discussed regional escalations with Fidan and both sides “stressed the necessity of resorting to dialogue.” He noted that ending the war in Gaza is the only way for regional de-escalation.
Fidan echoed by saying that “the Israeli crimes in Gaza carry the risk of turning into a regional conflict.”