Qatar has accused Benjamin Netanyahu of deliberately obstructing ceasefire and hostage release negotiations with Hamas for personal political gain, after leaked recordings appeared to show the Israeli prime minister criticising Doha’s mediation role.
Majed al-Ansari, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said Qatar was “appalled” by the remarks, made in a closed-door meeting with hostage families, in which Mr Netanyahu reportedly said Qatar’s involvement was “problematic” and that he had intentionally not thanked the Gulf state for its efforts. “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,” Mr al-Ansari wrote on X.
Qatar, along with Egypt and the United States, has been a leading mediator in the three-month war sparked by Hamas’s 7 October attack, which killed 1,140 people in Israel and saw about 250 taken hostage. Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed more than 25,700 people in Gaza and displaced about 85% of the strip’s population. Doha helped secure a week-long truce in November during which over 100 hostages were released, but further talks have since stalled.
The public spat threatens to complicate already arduous negotiations. Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, added to tensions by accusing Qatar of being the “patron of Hamas” and a country that “supports terrorism”. Meanwhile, heavy fighting continues in southern Gaza, with at least 20 people killed and 150 wounded while waiting for aid distribution in Gaza City, according to local authorities. The Israeli military did not comment on that incident.
