Sheikh Mohammed aimed for the international community’s double standard in condemning Israeli aggression in the occupied Palestinian territories and alluded to Qatar re-evaluating its position as a mediator in the conflict.
The Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs condemned Israel’s continual collective punishment against civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories.
During a press briefing on Wednesday alongside Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani reiterated Qatar’s stance of the urgency in de-escalating hostilities in the region to uphold the rights of Palestine’s innocent.
Since October 7, the Gaza Ministry of Health reports that at least 33,899 people in Gaza have been killed. Human rights observers, such as Euro-Med Monitor, estimate a far higher death toll – taking into account individuals presumed dead and trapped under the rubble.
Worse still, the 76,664 injured by the aggressor’s onslaught are forced to seek treatment in the 11 remaining partially functional hospitals in the Strip. Israeli bombardment has rendered at least 26 hospitals out of service.
Sheikh Mohammed said that Qatar continues to call on the international community “to shoulder its responsibilities and work to halt the war in Gaza and the continued targeting of Palestinian people.”
He further deplored the evident double standard on the world stage regarding the evaluation of the worsening humanitarian crises in Gaza. He urged the international community to adopt a unified standard in condemning aggressors and supporting victims – irrespective of their identity.
‘Sensitive’ phase in ceasefire negotiations
The Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister also addressed the ongoing ceasefire and captive release negotiations.
He described the process as having reached a “sensitive phase” and said that Qatar is “trying as much as possible to address this stumbling block.”
The Gulf state has been at the forefront of mediatory efforts amid Israel’s renewed war on Palestine. Qatar has since faced waves of criticism, including from American officials, for acting as a mediator to de-escalate the conflict.
On Monday, Congressman Steny Hoyer issued a press release criticising the Gulf state for what he referred to as Qatar’s failure to apply pressure to goad Hamas into accepting a ceasefire deal.
Sheikh Mohammed said abuse of Qatar’s mediatory role was “unacceptable.”
During a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the Diwan Annex in Doha, also on Wednesday, the Qatari official added: “It is unacceptable for us to be told anything in closed rooms, and [then] outside, they start issuing statements that are unfortunately destructive and do not contribute positively.
“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,” he concluded.
Qatari-Romanian ties
Echoing Sheikh Mohammed’s sentiment, Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu added during the press briefing: “I completely agree that we should adopt a balanced position and encourage parties to manifest immediate restraint to prevent dangerous developments.”
Prime Minister Ciolacu also hailed Qatar’s mediatory efforts.
“The State of Qatar has recently demonstrated its role as an actor with significant regional influence by facilitating negotiations that led to the safe release of Gaza Strip hostages, including some persons with Romanian citizenship,” Ciolacu said.
Sheikh Mohammed said that Qatari-Romanian relations are characterised by mutual trust and exchange on matters in the region and beyond in Europe.
“I consider that this partnership should be a very pragmatic one, built around concrete economic projects and investments,” said Romania’s Prime Minister.
On Wednesday, Ciolacu met representatives from the Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA), Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), and Qatar Industrial Manufacturing Co.
He underscored Romania’s interest in Qatari investments. Earlier on Tuesday, the Romanian leader said that he was keen to secure €15 billion worth of Qatari investments as a matter of priority for his visit to Doha.
Prime Minister Ciolacu highlighted the opportunity for Qatar to invest in Romanian energy while speaking with Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, the Chairman of the QBA and representatives from the nation’s sovereign wealth fund and industrial manufacturing company.
“Romania is a provider of energy security at the regional level, and our energy sector is undergoing a transformation process aimed at increasing resilience, competitiveness, and sustainability. It is an interesting and rewarding field for business people involved in ‘future energy’ because we aim to introduce new technologies based on renewable energy, electricity storage, and the implementation of highly effective systems,” Ciolacu said.
