Doha, Qatar – The prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, has referred to as for inclusive engagement, together with with non-state actors such because the Palestinian group Hamas, as the one viable path to regional peace.
Chatting with United States journalist Tucker Carlson on Sunday on the Doha Discussion board, Sheikh Mohammed mentioned you can’t resolve or attain an answer “if in case you have nobody chatting with non-state actors”.
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The beginning of Qatar’s relationship with Hamas goes again greater than 10 years, he mentioned, including that opening the group’s workplace within the nation got here on the request of the US, aiming to boost communications with the armed group.
“Once they [Hamas] moved their workplace again in 2012 right here [Qatar], it was used just for communication and to facilitate ceasefires and support to Gaza,” Sheikh Mohammed, who can also be the overseas minister, mentioned.
Qatar has additionally hosted the Taliban’s political workplace since 2013, through the group’s warfare with the US and the previous Afghan authorities. The workplace was additionally established at Washington’s request to create a venue for potential peace negotiations.
Sheikh Mohammed refuted allegations that any cash going to Gaza went to Hamas, insisting it goes to the Palestinian individuals.
“Politicians are attempting to make use of this for short-term political positive aspects … to gasoline their narratives,” the prime minister acknowledged.
“All our support, financing, and all our help … went to the individuals in Gaza, and was a really clear course of that the US may be very conscious of … [and] Israel was the one facilitating.
“This communication has led to ceasefires, has led to the discharge of hostages, has led to assuaging the struggling of the individuals over there,” he added.
Israeli assault on Qatar ‘unethical’
Discussing Israel’s surprising assault on Qatar in September, Sheikh Mohammed described it as an “unethical transfer”.
“The idea of mediation is like having a protected place for conflicted events to realize a deal, to finish wars and to finish conflicts,” he mentioned.
“The mediator being bombed by one of many events – this has been unprecedented.”
The prime minister revealed that US President Donald Trump was caught off guard by Israel’s actions.
“President Trump was very clear from the start… When he was knowledgeable concerning the assault, he assigned one in every of his advisers to achieve out to us instantly. He expressed his frustration, his disappointment, as a result of he is aware of all the pieces concerning the course of and the way useful we had been all through,” he mentioned.
“He made it very clear for everybody that that is just like the crimson line, that he doesn’t need anybody to cross.”
Reconstructing Gaza
On the reconstruction of a devastated Gaza, following Israel’s ongoing two-year genocidal war, Sheikh Mohammed mentioned Qatar would “proceed supporting the Palestinian individuals”.
“We’ll do no matter to alleviate their struggling,” he emphasised.
Nevertheless, he mentioned Qatar “is not going to write the cheque for what others destroyed”.
“Relating to the Russia-Ukraine battle, we hear that Russia ought to fund all of the reconstruction, and their property needs to be seized to fund all of the reconstruction of Ukraine,” he identified. “[But] if you end up speaking about Israel … and also you say that Israel has the accountability to rebuild what’s destroyed, they are going to let you know no. It’s actually a really ironic double normal.
“Our place is that our funds will go solely to assist the Palestinian individuals, if we see that the assistance coming to them is inadequate,” Sheikh Mohammed added.
Based on UN estimates, 92 percent of all residential buildings in Gaza have been broken or destroyed since Israel’s warfare on the besieged enclave started on October 7, 2023, producing between 55-60 million tonnes of rubble. It has been estimated by the UN that it’ll take a long time to rebuild.
Furthermore, the prime minister firmly opposed any compelled displacement of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel.
“It’s hurting us once we hear individuals speaking concerning the individuals of Gaza as some type of completely different individuals,” he mentioned.
“They’ve the selection the place to go, they usually don’t wish to depart their nation,” he added. “I don’t see anybody has the best to deport them or to drive them to go someplace else.”
