(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Irfan Bukhari |The Peninsula
Doha: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said yesterday Qatar is reevaluating its mediation role in Gaza conflict because there is“exploitation of Qatari role by some politicians” which he said was“unacceptable.”
He said Qatar has been the victim of point-scoring by some politicians who for the narrow political interests are criticising Qatar.
“Qatar stressed from the beginning that it would contribute positively towards the negotiations and that it would always try to bridge the gap between the parties. The issue took many months and the differences were wide. We have always worked closely with our partners in this mediation, whether they are the United States or Egypt, to bridge this gap and submit proposals,” he added.
But in the end, he said, the mediator's role is limited and cannot provide things that the parties themselves wish for.“With regard to what I mentioned, the talks are going today in a sensitive stage, and in a delicate stage.”
“There is an exploitation of the Qatari role. This is unacceptable. When we started and engaged in this process, we engaged from a humanitarian standpoint and also from a patriotic and national standpoint to protect our Palestinian brothers.” He was addressing a joint press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkiye H E Hakan Fidan in Doha yesterday.
Earlier, the two sides discussed bilateral relations and ways to support and develop them and the latest developments in the region. The talks also covered ways to reduce escalation and bring calm, especially ending the war in the Gaza Strip, and the coordination of their shared humanitarian efforts in the enclave.
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani meeting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkiye H E Hakan Fidan in Doha Yesterday.
The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed Qatar's deep concern about the latest developments in the region, calling on all parties to achieve calm and exercise the utmost restraint.
“We had an important meeting, where we talked about the strategic partnership, bilateral relations between the two countries, and coordination within the framework of continuous coordination between us regarding regional and international issues,” the PM said in the media briefing.
He said that the visit of Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs came while the region is going through sensitive circumstances, especially in the recent escalation that the region is going through.
“We had the opportunity to hold detailed consultations about this escalation in the region, and we emphasised the position on the need for the parties to resort to reducing the escalation, and the language of reason and dialogue and resolving issues with logic, and not with the language of weapons and violence.”
In the recent period, he said, Qatar and Turkiye have made extensive communication with all parties.“The coordination between Qatar and Turkiye is an ongoing coordination, and we appreciate and value the positions adopted by the Republic of Turkiye, especially with regard to supporting the Palestinian brothers.”
He added:“We had an opportunity to discuss the latest developments, the war situation in Gaza, the humanitarian crisis that is worsening day by day, and also the ongoing Israeli aggression on our Palestinian brothers in the West Bank.”
The Prime Minister said that the conflict will remain open as long as there is no just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue through the establishment of a Palestinian state or international legitimate resolutions on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.“Qatar continues its communications and coordination with all brotherly and friendly countries within the framework of putting an end to this crisis and this human suffering, and as we appreciate and value the Turkish role and the importance of the Turkish role at this stage in the region.”
Responding to a question on Iran-Israel escalation, he said Qatar's communication with Iran and the US has been ongoing and it never stopped even before recent escalation.“We've been in an intense conversation with both the Iranians and the Americans, urging the parties not to escalate and to contain the situation.”
“We mentioned from the beginning that the war will definitely have a spillover on the region, and we have seen that since the attack on the Iranian consulate by Israel, which resulted in killing of some of the Iranian officials, and this tension has been just, you know, mounting up.”
He added:“Of course, we are trying to urge the parties that to contain the situation and we don't know yet whether this escalation will be contained or it will get out of control.”
He added:“What's happening right now is happening very close to our region and I think that it's very important that all the leaders are coordinating in the same position, same direction (to deescalate tension) and this is what we have seen from all the leaders that we have had communication with.”
He said the best way to deescalate in the region and to put down the tension is to stop the Gaza war.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkiye Hakan Fidan lauded Qatar's mediation efforts to end war in Gaza and de-escalate tensions in the region.
He said that Turkiye expressed fears since the start of war on Gaza that it could expand in the region, saying the only solution to stop conflict expansion was stopping war in Gaza and establishment of an independent Palestinian state.“We will continue to support the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem, based on the 1967 borders,” he added.
“We have been reiterating Israel's moves would cause a regional war. Last week showed such a risk is still here to stay.”
He said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to drag the region into a war to remain in power.
To a question about his meeting with chairman of Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, he said:“Hamas officials told me they will abolish the armed wing and continue as a political party when a Palestinian state is established.” He said that it was Israeli propaganda that portrayed Hamas as a terrorist organisation like Daesh.
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