Israel's far-right finance minister on Thursday accused Qatar, a key player in negotiations with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, of being “responsible” for the Oct. 7 attack.
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“Qatar is a country that supports and finances terrorism,” he said. The emirate “is the godfather of Hamas and largely responsible for the massacres that Hamas commits against Israeli citizens,” said Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, on X (ex-Twitter).
“One thing is clear: Qatar will not participate in any way in what happens after the war in Gaza.”
Debate is growing in Israel over how best to secure the release of hostages still held by Hamas as military operations intensify in the southern Gaza Strip.
Qatar, Egypt and the United States are trying to mediate to reach a new ceasefire, enable the release of hostages still held and provide more humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory.
On Wednesday, Israeli Channel 12 broadcast an audio recording of the Israeli prime minister with families of hostages, in which Benjamin Netanyahu described Doha's role as “problematic.” “I have no illusions about them,” he said. The Qataris “have the means to exert pressure (on Hamas, editor’s note). And why? Because they finance them.
In return, Qatar said it was “dismayed” and considered these statements “irresponsible and damaging to efforts to save innocent lives.”
Doha is home to Hamas' political leadership and has in recent years provided hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the people of the Gaza Strip, which has been under Hamas control since 2007.
The war was sparked by the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7, which killed more than 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official data.
About 250 people were kidnapped, about a hundred of whom were released at the end of November as part of a ceasefire in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. According to the same count, 132 hostages remain in the area, 28 of whom are believed to have died.
According to the Islamist movement's health ministry, Israel vowed to “destroy” Hamas and launched a massive military operation that killed 25,700 Palestinians, the vast majority women, children and teenagers.