The Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, thanked this Monday the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al Thani, for the involvement of his Government in trying to achieve the departure of foreign citizens from the Gaza Strip. and the release of the hostages held by Hamas, in a new telephone contact between both countries.
The two ministers discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza following the military offensive launched by Israeli forces in response to the “horrible terrorist attacks” carried out by Hamas, according to a statement from the US State Department, which has also advocated working to prevent the conflict from spreading throughout the region.
For his part, the Qatari leader has stressed the “vital importance” of protecting “all” civilians, while calling to guarantee “sustained humanitarian assistance” for the Palestinian population. The Strip has been subject to a total blockade since the attacks on October 7, which have left some 8,300 dead in said territory, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
Qatar, which last week joined other Arab countries in criticizing the actions taken by Israel in Gaza, has tried in recent weeks to present itself as an intermediary, given the lines it has open with the different actors. The Qatari ambassador to the United States, Meshal bin Hamad al Thani, signed a column in ‘The Wall Street Journal’ on Sunday, in which he claimed the country as the “honest mediator” of the Middle East.
Thus, under the premise that “Qatar does not want another war in the region”, the ambassador also wanted to make it clear that Doha does not support the actions undertaken by Hamas, which the Arab countries also condemned in their joint statement.
0 Comments