Qatar assured this Sunday that it would continue mediation efforts to broker a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, but warned that incessant Israeli bombardments will reduce the chances of a positive outcome.
“Our efforts (…) together with our partners continue. We will not give up,” Qatar Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said at the Doha Forum.
However, he acknowledged that “the continuation of the bombing reduces these possibilities,” according to the French agency AFP.
Qatar played a key role in negotiating a seven-day truce in late November, during which dozens of Israeli hostages were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners, until fighting resumed on December 1.
The United States, Israel’s main ally in this war, vetoed a resolution calling for a ceasefire on Friday.
“We are determined to free the hostages, but we are also determined to stop the war,” Qatar’s prime minister said.
But “we do not see the same will on both sides” and “continuous bombing reduces our options,” he admitted.
He reaffirmed that Qatar will continue to push for Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas to return to dialogue, despite “the possibility becoming less and less likely” with each passing day.
The prime minister has been a mediator in the talks since the start of the conflict and also deplored criticism of Qatar’s ties with Hamas.
Qatar maintains an economic aid program for the Gaza Strip that has been heavily criticized by Israel, on suspicion that the money ends up in the hands of Hamas to buy weapons.
The Prime Minister again denounced “Israeli aggression” and the deterioration of the situation of the civilian population in Gaza.
He believed that the crisis “has clearly shown the extent of the divide between East and West”, according to the Spanish agency EFE.
He added that the diverse participation in the Doha Forum provides an opportunity for in-depth discussions that take into account “all the complexities of the present.”
The 21st edition of the Doha Forum focuses on the theme “Building a bright future together”.
Political leaders and heads of international and regional organizations are participating, including the UN Secretary General António Guterres.
The previous edition, in March 2022, aimed to discuss the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, but focused on the war in Ukraine that started with the Russian invasion in February.
This year is dominated by the war in the Gaza Strip, which began with the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which Israeli authorities say killed 1,200 people.
In retaliation, the Israeli army launched an air and land offensive against the Gaza Strip, interrupted during a week of ceasefire, which Hamas says killed 17,700 people in two months.
Source: DN
