Qatar: Hamas’s presence in Doha is transparent, and Israeli prisoners will be returned to their families through negotiations and not military force
Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani, said that the Israeli prisoners held by Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip will be returned to their families through negotiations and not by military force.
He added in an interview with the British Sky News on Wednesday that Qatar and the United States are working closely together on the Gaza issue, and that there were moments that required applying pressure, and that was done.
The Qatari minister pointed out that the challenges faced by his country as a negotiating party and mediator weren’t seen by everyone.
In response to criticism of the presence of a Hamas office in the Qatari capital, he said, “Hamas’ presence in Doha is transparent and completely coordinated, and it emerged with the desire of Israel and the United States to use it as a platform for negotiations”.
He recalled that this office had signed many ceasefire agreements and eased tensions before they escalated in many incidents.
He added, “I hope the whole world understands that the hostages will return to their families not by military force, but thanks to this office and negotiations”.
He stressed that all support for Gaza was provided in coordination with the United States, Israel and the United Nations, explaining that the Qatari role is essential for the region.
Commenting on the genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, he said, “We never expected the world to remain silent about what is happening in Gaza”.
He added, “This isn’t only sad and infuriating for Qatar, but for all the people of the region and the world”.
Asked whether US President-elect Donald Trump wanted to resolve the issue before the swearing-in ceremony, al Thani said, “Yes”.
“We heard that in our conversations with his team… At least in my conversations with them, they wanted an immediate solution, even today,” he added.
He pointed out that there are efforts to achieve a ceasefire before Trump’s expected inauguration ceremony on January 20.
“We are doing our best, I don’t want to go into details, we are trying to protect the process as much as possible and we hope that information won’t be leaked through any party,” he said.
He said he was optimistic about a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza before Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Despite the continuation of Qatari and Egyptian mediation efforts for several months, and the presentation of one agreement proposal after another to end the Israeli genocide in Gaza and exchange prisoners, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s retreat from the terms that were agreed upon during some stages of the mediation, and his setting of new conditions for accepting the agreement, hindered these efforts.
Israel estimates that there are 101 prisoners in the Gaza Strip, while Hamas announced that dozens of them were killed in random Israeli raids.
