Qatar has stalled its efforts as a key mediator for Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, the foreign ministry said on Saturday.
The Gulf country, however, asserted that it will resume those efforts when the two parties show their willingness and seriousness to end the war and the ongoing suffering of civilians in Gaza Strip.
There were reports that Qatar, which has been working alongside the United States and Egypt for months on fruitless talks between the warring sides in Gaza, had withdrawn from the median efforts.
Denying these reports, Dr Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, Spokespoerson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Qatar will be at the forefront of making every good effort to end the war if the two sides show their willingness.
He said Qatar had informed both Israel and Hamas 10 days ago during the last attempt to reach an agreement, that it would stall its efforts of mediation if an agreement was not reached in that round.
“The State of Qatar will not accept that mediation be a reason for blackmailing it, as we have witnessed manipulation since the collapse of the first pause and the women and children exchange deal, especially in retreating from obligations agreed upon through mediation, and exploiting the continuation of negotiations to justify the continuation of the war to serve narrow political purposes,” Al Ansari said in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA).
The spokesperson reiterated Qatar's commitment to supporting the Palestinian people until they obtain all their rights, “foremost of which is their independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital”.
Al Ansari also dismissed media reports that it had warned Hamas that their Doha office no longer serves its purpose. He said the main goal of the office in Qatar was to be a channel of communication between the parties concerned, and this channel had contributed to achieving a ceasefire in previous stages.
On Friday, media reports said that the US had asked Qatar to expel the Hamas and that Doha had passed this message on to the group. Qatar has hosted Hamas political leaders since 2012 as part of a deal with the US.