'Qatar's Reassessment Of Continuing Mediation Role Still Under Consideration'

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Irfan Bukhari |The Peninsula

Doha, Qatar: Stressing the need for 'serious commitment' by conflicting parties, official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majid bin Muhammad Al Ansari has said that Qatar's reassessment of continuing its mediation role is still under consideration.

“Qatar is currently undertaking foreign policy initiatives in general and mediation on Gaza crisis in particular out of a desire for succeeding in reducing the escalation,” he said, adding that Qatar was also studying the seriousness of all parties whether they were opposing or supporting the end of the war.

He said that Qatar is committed to its efforts, which resulted in the past in a truce that extended for seven days and succeeded in exchanging prisoners and detainees between the two parties, all through mediation efforts.

He, in a weekly media briefing held yesterday, denounced some officials' unfair criticism of Qatari mediation.“A number of officials, the Israelis among them in the Netanyahu government, who spoke negatively about the Qatari mediation, all know what the Qatari role is, its nature and details during the previous stages.”

He called for the need to stop these statements that contradict reality and do not reflect the commitment and seriousness in reaching a peaceful agreement and the end of the conflict, pointing at the same time to the Qatari mediation that led to positive results on many occasions, which resulted in the return of more than 109 individuals to their families and the cessation of the war on several occasions.

He said that different lies about the Qatari mediation role are based solely on the political positioning of people within the framework of the electoral cycle. He noted that it is not the role of the mediator to put pressure on a specific party or another party using certain methods.“If Qatar plays this role or any mediator plays this role, the mediation will fail directly.”

He also welcomed the decision of several European countries to recognise the State of Palestine.“It is what we have always said is required at the international level.”

Responding to another question about the political office of Hamas and its leaders, he said that the Hamas leaders who are in Doha can leave and return to Doha at any time.“There are no restrictions on their entry or exit to Doha currently within the framework of entering the mediation.”

He noted that the Hamas office here in Doha was established in coordination with the United States of America and other parties to ensure a successful communication channel.

Regarding the possibility of carrying out an Israeli military operation on Rafah, Al Ansari stressed that the Israeli attack in light of the current situation on Rafah is completely unacceptable in light of the major humanitarian tragedy resulting from the almost daily targeting of detained and besieged Palestinians in only 10 percent of the area of the Strip.

He said that work must be done to stop this expected attack and push the Israeli side to adhere to the decisions of the International Court of Justice, the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council and that these hostile practices must stop and the war, in general, be stopped.

“In light of the catastrophic situation inside Gaza, there is famine just meters away from the aid that does not enter the Strip, an unprecedented health crisis, and mass graves of martyrs showing traces of torture, which cannot tolerate further escalation.”

Dr. Al Ansari stressed that any escalation hinders the mediation process and increases its difficulty, as there are more than 1.7 million Palestinians in Rafah, and it is impossible to imagine the humanitarian catastrophe that might result from a military invasion.

MENAFN24042024000063011010ID1108131469