Qatar has sharply criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of deliberately obstructing ceasefire and hostage release negotiations with Hamas for personal political gain. The Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, said on Wednesday night that his government was “appalled” by leaked remarks allegedly made by Netanyahu in which he criticised Qatar’s mediation efforts over the war in Gaza.
“If the reported remarks are found to be true, the Israeli PM would only be obstructing and undermining the mediation process, for reasons that appear to serve his political career instead of prioritising saving innocent lives, including Israeli hostages,” Ansari wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Netanyahu’s office has yet to respond to the public spat, which threatens to complicate already arduous negotiations on aid, a ceasefire, and the release of approximately 130 hostages believed to still be held in Gaza.
The recordings, obtained by Israel’s Channel 12, captured Netanyahu telling families of hostages that Qatar’s role in mediation was “problematic”. He reportedly said, “Qatar in my opinion is no different, in essence, from the UN. It is no different, in essence, from the Red Cross, and in some ways it is even more problematic.” Netanyahu also allegedly expressed anger towards the US for maintaining a military base in Qatar.
On Thursday, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich escalated tensions by accusing Qatar of being responsible for the 7 October Hamas attack, calling it the “patron of Hamas” and “a country that supports terrorism”. Qatar, along with Egypt and the US, has been a leading mediator in the three-month war sparked by Hamas’s attack, which killed 1,140 people and took about 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed more than 25,700 people and displaced around 85% of Gaza’s population.
At least 20 people were killed and 150 wounded while waiting for aid distribution in Gaza City on Thursday, local authorities said. Hamas blamed Israel for the attack; the Israel Defense Forces did not immediately comment. The heaviest fighting in Gaza this year is centred on Khan Younis, which the Israeli army said it had “encircled”. Hospitals in the city have been cut off by fighting, and a UN-run shelter was hit by shelling, killing 12 and injuring 75.
