Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh H E Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani affirmed that Qatar is committed to the stability of the region, seeing it as an essential component of its own national security.

He cautioned, however, that Qatar does not aspire to project power through military means, but rather through diplomacy, investment, and strategic partnerships - an approach he described as Qatar's defining contribution in this field.

Speaking in a session titled“Mediation in a Fragmented World” during the Doha Forum 2025, he noted that Qatar works to resolve conflicts through mediation in an increasingly fractured international landscape. He stressed that Qatar consistently seeks to keep channels of communication open with all parties and refrains from taking sides, because without such openness, no dispute can be meaningfully resolved. He added that all progress achieved by Qatar in this sphere since 2013 has stemmed from its engagement with every stakeholder.

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He explained that mediation inherently involves stepping in to help resolve disputes between two parties or among several states - something he described as natural practice in international relations. He lamented, however, that divisions within the region often arise among states and factions alike, and for that reason Qatar keeps its lines of communication active with all sides to find solutions acceptable to everyone - an approach that has repeatedly proven effective over the years.

Responding to a question, he pointed to Qatar's success in mediating between the United States and the Taliban in Afghanistan, noting that Doha facilitated the talks and invested sustained, long-term efforts spanning more than seven years to help achieve the desired outcome and move both sides towards peace.

He also underscored that Qatar's achievements from 2023 onward in efforts related to peace in Gaza - culminating in the 2025 peace agreement - were made possible only because it engaged with every relevant actor. Despite this, he noted, Qatar continues to face politically motivated criticism for hosting Hamas.

In a related context, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani explained that each conflict has its own unique dynamics; therefore, mediation between the United States and Afghanistan cannot be equated with mediation between Israel and Hamas. He emphasized that a major challenge in the latter case was that the United States, as one of the mediators, initially engaged only with the Israeli side. Once Washington began speaking with both sides, he said, this shift enabled meaningful progress toward securing the Gaza ceasefire. He added that the ceasefire cannot be regarded as fully in effect unless Israeli forces withdraw entirely, stability is restored in Gaza, and people can move in and out of the territory without obstruction.

He stressed that the conflict extends beyond Gaza and encompasses the West Bank as well as the Palestinian people's aspirations for statehood. He expressed hope that the Israeli government will cooperate toward realizing these aspirations.

“We are at a decisive moment with respect to the Gaza ceasefire,” he observed, noting that mediators are currently working together on the second phase of the agreement, which he described as another interim step. He added that Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt, and the United States are jointly shaping the trajectory of this next phase.

He underscored the importance of addressing the root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - an endeavour that must go beyond ending the catastrophe in Gaza to include the situation in the West Bank and the fulfillment of Palestinian national aspirations.

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