Qatar’s PM denies any control over Hamas
The Prime Minister of Qatar Denies Influence Over Hamas
The prime minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, insisted his country, which has funded Hamas for years and hosts the heads of the group in Doha, has no power or influence over them.
Al Thani spoke at an Atlantic Council event as Qatar has been criticized for its unwillingness to pressure Hamas into releasing Israeli hostages.
“Our role needs to be understood clearly in this context, our role is mediator, we try to bring the parties to bridge gaps between them,” Al Thani said, as Jewish Insider reported. “We don’t see that Qatar is a superpower that can impose something on this party or the other party to bring them to that place.”
“Qatar is Hamas’ most important financial backer and foreign ally. Qatari Emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani was the first state leader to visit the Hamas government in 2012. So far, the emirate has transferred €1.5 billion ($1.8 billion) to Hamas,” Deutsche Welle noted in 2021. “Doha pledged $360 million of annual support to the enclave in January 2021, in part to subsidize government salaries,” FDD pointed out, adding, “Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of Hamas’s political bureau, resides in Qatar, as do Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas’s communications office, and Khaled Mashal, Hamas’s former political chief and current head of the group’s diaspora office.”
“It doesn’t mean that being there, hosting them is a leverage that we have over them,” Al Thani continued. “We don’t see that this is a point of leverage. We see this as a point, as a channel of communication that we are using, always for good causes.”
NBC News reporter Andrea Mitchell and Washington Post columnist David Ignatius who moderated the event, reportedly did not ask the prime minister directly about his country’s financial support of Hamas.
Commenting on reports that a dozen U.N. Relief and Works Agency employees participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre of 1,200 Israelis, Al Thani said the organization “cannot be punished because of the acts of some employees” as long as the organization is “complying with” their internal procedures, adding, “It’s a behavior of an individual or small group of people among tens of thousands… it cannot be a way to label the entire agency as violating or adopting such [an] act.”
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“Neither Al Thani nor the event’s moderators addressed a report in the Wall Street Journal that 1,200 UNRWA employees are members of Hamas, and around half of its employees have close ties to Hamas members,” Jewish Insider noted.
What role does Qatar assert to play in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and why?
The Prime Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, has adamantly denied having any influence over the militant group Hamas. This statement comes amidst growing criticism of Qatar’s perceived unwillingness to pressure Hamas into releasing Israeli hostages.
Speaking at an Atlantic Council event, Al Thani clarified Qatar’s role in the conflict, stating that their role is that of a mediator. He emphasized that Qatar cannot impose its will on any party involved and is instead focused on bridging gaps and facilitating dialogue between the parties. Al Thani stressed that Qatar is not a superpower with the ability to force certain outcomes.
However, Qatar’s relationship with Hamas has been widely documented. Qatar is known to be Hamas’ most significant financial backer and foreign ally. Qatari Emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani was the first state leader to visit the Hamas government in 2012. Qatar has transferred a considerable amount of financial aid to Hamas, totaling around €1.5 billion ($1.8 billion). In January 2021, Qatar pledged an additional $360 million in annual support to the enclave, partly aimed at subsidizing government salaries.
Furthermore, senior Hamas leaders have sought refuge in Qatar. Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of Hamas’s political bureau, resides in Qatar, as does Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas’s communications office. Even Khaled Meshaal, the former leader of Hamas, has found sanctuary in Qatar. These factors have raised questions about the level of influence Qatar may wield over Hamas.
Critics argue that Qatar’s financial support and hosting of Hamas leaders indicate a strong influence on the group’s actions and decision-making. They question whether Qatar is doing enough to leverage this influence to advocate for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Qatar has consistently maintained its role as a mediator and facilitator of dialogue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It asserts that it has no power to impose its will on any party involved. However, the extent of Qatar’s influence over Hamas remains a subject of debate, as it continues to provide significant financial support and shelter to the group’s leaders.
Amidst mounting international pressure for Qatar to take a more active role in securing the release of Israeli hostages, Al Thani’s denial of influence over Hamas underscores the complexity and delicate nature of Qatar’s position. As the world closely watches developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Qatar’s role and its relationship with Hamas will continue to be closely scrutinized.
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