Amid Israel strengthening its attack in the southern Gaza Strip, Qatar has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing mediation efforts to release the hostages.
Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari said, "We are appalled by the alleged remarks attributed to the Israeli PM in various media reports about Qatar's mediation role."
"These remarks if validated, are irresponsible and destructive to the efforts to save innocent lives...If the reported remarks are found to be true, the Israeli PM would only be obstructing and undermining the mediation process, for reasons that appear to serve his political career instead of prioritizing saving innocent lives, including Israeli hostages,” Ansari wrote on X.
In a leaked recording from a meeting with hostage families that aired on Israel's Channel 12 news on Tuesday, Netanyahu called Qatar “problematic”, Associated Press reported.
“You haven’t seen me thank Qatar, have you noticed? I haven’t thanked Qatar. Why? Because Qatar, to me, is no different in essence from the UN, from the Red Cross and in a way it’s even more problematic. However, I’m willing to use any mediator now who can help me bring them (the hostages) home,” Netanyahu was quoted by the Channel 12 news.
On asking whether the leaked recording was authentic, an Israeli government spokesperson said Israel “cannot go into details regarding the efforts and steps taken to release the hostages”, reported The Guardian.
Qatar and Egypt served as the main mediators with Hamas over the release of hostages.
In November last year, Qatar helped in getting a seven-day pause in fighting, during which 110 Israeli and foreign hostages were released from Gaza in return for 240 Palestinians released from Israeli captivity.
In the recording that was released, Netanyahu went on to say that Qatar has leverage over Hamas because it funds the movement.
Also, Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday accused Qatar of being "largely responsible" for the Hamas attack.
Qatar is the “patron of Hamas and is largely responsible for the massacre committed by Hamas of Israeli citizens”, Smotrich said on X.
Meanwhile, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has confirmed that Nasser hospital in Khan Younis has run out of food, anaesthetics and painkillers. “The health and humanitarian situation in the hospital is extremely catastrophic due to the siege by the Israeli occupation forces,” the ministry said.
International Court of Justice (ICJ) to deliver interim ruling on genocide case against Israel on Friday.
Israel military was alleged of shooting Palestinians queueing for aid. Reportedly, the military is looking into the claims. At least 20 people were killed and 150 were injured in the attack. According to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry spokesperson, an attack had been carried out on "hungry mouths".
Meanwhile, the situation in Khan Younis 'underscores a consistent failure' to uphold international humanitarian law, says UNRWA director.
“Persistent attacks on civilian sites in Khan Younis are utterly unacceptable and must stop immediately. People are being killed and injured. As fighting intensifies around hospitals and shelters hosting the displaced, people are trapped inside and lifesaving operations are impeded,” read a statement published on the UNRWA website.
