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.
Speaking to United States journalist Tucker Carlson on Sunday on the Doha Forum, Sheikh Mohammed stated you can not resolve or attain an answer “when you have nobody talking to non-state actors”.
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The begin of Qatar’s relationship with Hamas goes again greater than 10 years, he stated, including that opening the group’s workplace within the nation got here on the request of the US, aiming to reinforce communications with the armed group.
“When they [Hamas] moved their workplace again in 2012 right here [Qatar], it was used just for communication and to facilitate ceasefires and assist to Gaza,” Sheikh Mohammed, who can be the overseas minister, stated.
Qatar has additionally hosted the Taliban’s political workplace since 2013, throughout 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 folks.
“Politicians try to make use of this for short-term political features … to gasoline their narratives,” the prime minister acknowledged.
“All our assist, financing, and all our help … went to the folks in Gaza, and was a really clear course of that the United States could 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 folks 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 stated.
“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 certainly one of his advisers to succeed in out to us instantly. He expressed his frustration, his disappointment, as a result of he is aware of every thing concerning the course of and the way useful we have been all through,” he stated.
“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 warfare, Sheikh Mohammed stated Qatar would “proceed supporting the Palestinian folks”.
“We will do no matter to alleviate their struggling,” he emphasised.
However, he stated Qatar “is not going to write the cheque for what others destroyed”.
“When it involves the Russia-Ukraine battle, we hear that Russia ought to fund all of the reconstruction, and their property ought 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 duty to rebuild what’s destroyed, they are going to let you know no. It’s actually a really ironic double customary.
“Our place is that our funds will go solely to assist the Palestinian folks, if we see that the assistance coming to them is inadequate,” Sheikh Mohammed added.
According to UN estimates, 92 % 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’s going to take a long time to rebuild.
Moreover, the prime minister firmly opposed any compelled displacement of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel.
“It’s hurting us after we hear folks speaking concerning the folks of Gaza as some form of completely different folks,” he stated.
“They have the selection the place to go, they usually don’t need to depart their nation,” he added. “I don’t see anybody has the correct to deport them or to pressure them to go some place else.”
