Qatar's mediation efforts helped region's stability and security: FM

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani

* Qatar moved diplomatically since the start of events in Al Quds, says the Foreign Minister HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Friday said that Qatar was active diplomatically since the start of the latest events in Al Quds, especially when the provocations of settler groups began, followed by the evictions in Sheikh Jarrah, and then the provocations in Al Aqsa Mosque. HE Sheikh Mohammed stressed that Qatar has been a reliable mediator over the years, carrying out successful mediations. He also noted that Qatar's ties with different parties, whether Hamas of Taliban, helped the region's security and stability. This came in two separate televised interviews HE the Foreign Minister with Al Araby TV and MSNBC, where he discussed a number of GCC and regional issues. He said that everyone saw the value of Qatar provides when it conducted dialogues and played a mediating role with its diplomacy with various groups, noting that Qatar helped mediate many cease-fire agreements between Hamas and Israel, and stopped the conflict between the United States and the Taliban. His Excellency added that the State of Qatar is currently facilitating dialogue between the Taliban and the Afghan government. He indicated that Qatar can play a role in providing a platform for the various conflicting parties to negotiate with each other in order to resolve all these disputes by peaceful means. HE Sheikh Mohammed reviewed the timeline of the recent events in Palestine and the resulting Israeli aggression against the people in Gaza. He said that Qatar repeated the message of the importance of ending these provocations, as they may lead to violence and possibly a new war. He said that there was communication on the various international levels, whether with allies like the United States or other friendly nations, in addition to holding a ministerial meeting for at the Arab League in its current session chaired by the State of Qatar. He said that one of the outcomes of the meeting was to establish an Arab committee that examines the recent incidents, then raise its recommendations to the UN Security Council. HE the Foreign Minister said that there was also continuous coordination with regional partners and the regional states concerned with this issue, in particular with Jordan and  Egypt, before the war escalated in Gaza. He added that there was Qatari communication with Hamad and other political groups in Gaza, as well as with the Palestinian authority to try and reach a de-escalation. His Excellency added that these efforts were done in coordination with the Arab Republic of Egypt. He said the last few days saw a number of initiatives put forward, all of which were rejected by the Israeli side, before the Egyptian initiative gained the approval of all sides in the final two days. He said that Qatar communicated with the Palestinian parties to encourage them to accept the initiative as a temporary de-escalation step. HE the Deputy PM and Foreign Minister said that there were no compromises that had to be made, saying that the ceasefire is connected to conditions and latest developments in the West Bank and Al Quds in particular. He added that the Palestinian parties have concerns that the de-escalation can lead to more provocations in Al Quds, which may rise again. On the long-term solution that can guarantee the rights of Palestinians, HE Sheikh Mohammed said that this will be something the international parties will have to work towards. He stressed that Qatar's message was that today's solution is temporary so long as the Israeli provocation continue without regard for its international commitments, which could lead to more violence and wars. He added that the ongoing siege on Gaza cannot be ignored, noting that the international community has not urged all sides to return to negotiations. He also highlighted that there wasn't a comprehensive vision for a peace process following the Arab Peace Initiative, which Israel has not considered. He said that Arab countries consider the initiative a fair resolution that establishes two countries and is fair to the Palestinian people. He noted that the Palestinian authority tried countless times to work in accordance to that framework to no avail. He said that Qatar sees there was a sense of alertness on the international stage regarding the importance of a peace process, following the recent events that occurred with the Palestinians. HE Sheikh Mohammed said that the current ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was a temporary solution that doesn't deal with the root causes of the issue. He stressed that there is a need to maintain that ceasefire by stopping the provocations, allowing Palestinians to pray in mosques and churches without obstacles, ending the removal of people who live in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, and dealing with the damages in Gaza as a result of the war and Israeli attacks. His Excellency also stressed that it was important to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in Gaza as fast as possible. He stressed that the Arab Peace Initiative became an acceptable minimum for all Arab countries and the Palestinian people, that can be a starting point. His Excellency noted that Qatar does not believe that any initiative is beyond change, but can be discussed between the parties and must achieve justice for the Palestinian people. He said that the Arab Peace Initiative is the available fair solution, along with the related international resolutions, and the efforts of the Quartet on the Middle-East which the State of Qatar agrees with. His Excellency said that any change that occurs regarding the initiative must be agreed upon by the parties involved, stressing that the Palestinians are the ones most affected in that regard. On whether the State of Qatar contacted the Israeli or American sides following the bombing that targeted the Qatar Red Crescent Society's (QRCS) headquarters in Gaza, HE Sheikh Mohammed said that communication with Israel happens in the framework of Qatar's humanitarian projects in Gaza. His Excellency said that Qatar has contact with the Israeli side and the Palestinian parties during times of tension. he said that Qatar expressed its denouncement of the act, noting that the targeting of humanitarian institutions is a violation of international law and International Humanitarian Law. He added that the targeting of a building that contained media offices in Gaza was also condemned. He noted that it was an attempt to censor media and prevent it from shedding light on the events and bombing in Gaza. His Excellency said that it was an unprecedented act that is unacceptable and condemned internationally. He added that QRCS is a Qatari civil society organization, and is certainly studying its options that protects it against similar attacks in the future. In response to a question about the Qatari grant for the reconstruction of Gaza and how to ensure that the money goes only to help the needy, the Foreign Minister said it was important to recognize that the Palestinian people are not just Hamad, highlighting that there are 1.2 million people living in Gaza and are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. He highlighted that there is a lot of suffering as a result of the war, and that there were many children who were killed in the war. He noted that Qatar has provided aid in the past ten years in a strict manner and has ensured the delivery of humanitarian projects and aid, noting that Qatar has built during those years 42,000 housing units, hospitals and roads. His Excellency also added that the Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Hospital for rehabilitation, which carried out 70,000 procedures in 2020 alone, was hit in the most recent war. HE Sheikh Mohammed said that over the past three years, Qatar provided its aid in very clear ways that were agreed upon between Qatar and the United Nations, with the Israelis also in agreement on that. His Excellency added that the process was very clear to them because the aid entered through their crossings. His Excellency said that 50% of that aid goes to buy fuel to provide electricity to the Palestinian people. He said that Qatar helped increased the electric power in Gaza from being available two hours a day to 16 hours a day. His Excellency said that the other 50% goes to the poorest families in Gaza, which are about 130,000 families, each family receiving $100. His Excellency stressed that a $100 per family, to families that are in desperate need amid rocket attacks, will be used to produce any rockets or support any group there. HE Sheikh Mohammed said that Qatar has an approved mechanism. There is the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, which started its work since 2012, and this committee is implementing projects on the ground there according to a framework and mechanisms agreed upon, either with the United Nations or with the Israeli side that oversees the entrance of materials needed for these projects. He said that the Qatari projects are centered around building housing units to those who lost their homes, building the infrastructure in terms of roads, hospitals, and rebuilding schools, in addition to other programmes that provides education, healthcare, and humanitarian aid to those injured. He said that there were major projects in Gaza, including Qatari residential cities built recently in Gaza, that get destroyed by the war every time.