Qatar Criticizes Netanyahu’s Call for Hamas Pressure to Release Hostages

By Yoni Weiss

Qatar on Monday rebuked Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for urging the Gulf state to pressure Hamas into releasing Israeli hostages.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani criticized Netanyahu’s recent statements, characterizing them as a new attempt to prolong the Gaza war against Hamas.

Sheikh Mohammed expressed disappointment in the negotiations for a framework ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, emphasizing that the Israeli Prime Minister’s call for Qatari intervention is perceived as a tactic to delay the resolution of the conflict.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed Al-Ansari, conveyed these concerns in a statement posted on social media, although the specific comments from Netanyahu were not clarified in the statement. Sheikh Mohammed highlighted the essential elements of the negotiations, emphasizing humanitarian conditions in Gaza and the release of Palestinians in exchange for Israeli hostages, without providing detailed information on the ongoing talks.