Qatar 'reconsiders' mediation role in Israel-Hamas war as Prime Minister claims ... trends now

Qatar's Prime Minister said Wednesday the country is reassessing its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas after claiming his country was 'exploited' by leaders while overseeing hostage negotiations.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdurrahman Al Thani said there had been an 'abuse' of Qatar's mediation for 'narrow political interests.'

He did not name any politicians in his remarks, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised Qatar and recently threatened to shutter Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera.

Top Hamas leaders live in exile in Qatar, which is seen as one of the only parties with influence over the militant group.

Al Thani said there were 'limits' to the role of mediator and 'to the ability to which we can contribute to these negotiations in a constructive manner.'

'Qatar is in the process of a complete re-evaluation of its role,' Al Thani told a joint Doha news conference alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, yesterday.

'There is exploitation and abuse of the Qatari role,' he said, adding that Qatar had been the victim of 'point-scoring' by 'politicians who are trying to conduct election campaigns by slighting the State of Qatar'.

Qatar has been a key intermediary throughout the war in Gaza, and along with the US and Egypt, was instrumental in helping negotiate a brief halt to the fighting in November that led to the release of dozens of hostages.

The three countries have been engaged on weeks of behind-the-scenes talks aiming to secure a truce in war-torn Gaza as well as the release of 133 Israeli captives held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Mediators have been trying to push Hamas and Israel toward a cease-fire deal, and hoped to have had secured one before the start of Ramadan last month, but the sides continue to remain far apart on key terms.

Earlier Wednesday, Al Thani said negotiations had stalled.

'We are going through a sensitive stage with some stalling, and we are trying as much as possible to address this stalling,' the Qatari premier said.

Al Thani's comments come after the US Democratic Congressman Steny Hoyer criticised Doha's mediation role on Monday and threatened to 'reevaluate' the ties between Washington and Doha.

Hoyer said that Qatar must threaten Hamas with 'repercussions' if the militant Palestinian group 'continues to block progress toward releasing the hostages and establishing a temporary ceasefire.' 

The Qatari Embassy in Washington snapped back at Hoyer's remarks, which it called 'surprising' and 'not constructive'.

'Qatar is only a mediator — we do not control Israel or Hamas. Israel and Hamas are entirely responsible for reaching an agreement,' the Qatari embassy said in a previous statement on Tuesday. 

The Gulf diplomatic power has received backlash by both US and Israeli officials since it began its mediation role in the wake of the October 7 massacre led by Hamas on Israel.