Qatar committed to Israel-Hamas honest mediator role: Diplomatic sources

Diplomatic sources tell Al Jazeera that Qatar will not accept becoming a tool to pressure negotiating parties.

Qatar has stressed that it will not accept becoming a tool to pressure any party and that it is committed to maintaining its role as an honest mediator in its mediation between Hamas and Israel, diplomatic sources told Al Jazeera Arabic.

The sources indicated on Sunday that Qatar affirms it does not impose itself on the parties and cannot undertake any mediation unless asked to do so, and this includes the current mediation between Hamas and Israel.

The sources said Qatar would not allow interference from any party that would affect the integrity of its role.

The diplomatic sources said Qatari mediation disturbed certain parties which have worked to criticise and attack it, to pressure it to transform from an honest mediator to a tool for exerting pressure on a party, something that Qatar has not done in the past, successful mediations, both international and regional, including the Palestinian file.

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has said Doha is in the process of evaluating its role in this mediation, stressing that Qatar sees this mediation as being misused for narrow political interests, as they put it.

On Saturday, an informed official revealed to the Reuters news agency that Qatar might close the Hamas movement’s political office in Doha as part of a broader review of the mediation between the movement and Israel.