Qatar‘s Prime Minister Accuses Israel of Disregarding Hostage Lives
DOHA, QATAR – Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani sharply criticized Israel on Thursday, asserting that Israeli leaders “do not care” about the hostages held in Gaza. The statement comes amid stalled negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal, and following a reported Israeli strike in Doha.
Al Thani’s remarks reflect growing frustration with the ongoing impasse,as mediators-including Qatar,Egypt,and the United States-struggle to bridge the gap between Israel’s demands and Hamas’s conditions.Qatar has played a key role in past hostage negotiations, facilitating the release of some captives in November 2023.
Hamas claimed its senior leaders survived the Doha strike, but five lower-level members and a Qatari security officer were killed in the attack. Funerals for the deceased were held Thursday, attended by Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Hamas has a history of delaying confirmation of leader assassinations.
The United Arab Emirates also issued a warning Thursday, stating that further “provocative and unfriendly rhetoric” from Israel threatens regional stability and “pushes the region towards extremely hazardous trajectories.” The UAE considers aggression against any Gulf Cooperation Council member-including Qatar-an attack on collective Gulf security.Despite being a signatory to the 2020 Abraham Accords normalizing ties with Israel, the UAE recently blocked Israeli firms from participating in the Dubai Air Show.
Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians continue to flee Gaza City anticipating an Israeli offensive.The operation aims to seize the city, already heavily damaged by previous raids and facing conditions experts have described as famine. Israel denies widespread starvation, claiming sufficient aid is entering Gaza and accusing Hamas of diversion. U.N. agencies dispute these claims, citing Israeli restrictions and the ongoing offensive as obstacles to aid delivery.