Israel Attack On Gaza “Undermining Any Chance At Peace”: Qatar

Key points

Qatar has been a key mediator in the Gaza war, alongside Egypt and USA
US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander was recently released
Israel’s aggressive behaviour undermines any potential chance for peace: Qatar premier

DOHA, Qatar: Qatar’s prime minister on Tuesday said Israel’s military offensive in Gaza had undermined peace efforts after the release of US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander and amid expanded operations in the Palestinian territory, according to AFP.

“When Israeli American soldier Edan Alexander was released, we thought that moment would open a door to end this tragedy, but the response was a more violent wave of strikes,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani.

Aggressive Israeli behaviour

“This irresponsible, aggressive behaviour undermines any potential chance for peace,” he said at the Qatar Economic Forum.

The comments come a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would “take control” of the whole of Gaza, as the military pressed a newly intensified campaign in the war-ravaged territory.

Qatar has been a key mediator in the Gaza war, alongside Egypt and the United States.

Fundamental gap

Sheikh Mohammed said that in the past couple of weeks, negotiations in Doha “didn’t lead us anywhere yet, because there is a fundamental gap between the two parties”.

“One party is looking for a partial deal that might… lead to a comprehensive deal, and the other party is looking just for a one-off deal… and to end the war and to get all the hostages out,” he said.

“We couldn’t bridge this fundamental gap,” he added, according to AFP.

“Tantamount to ethnic cleansing”

According to DW News, more than 140 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in the past 24 hours as Israel launched a major air and ground offensive to take “full control” of the besieged territory.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 53,475 Palestinians and wounded 121,398, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The UN described the attacks as “tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”

Forced displacement

UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the Arab League Summit on May 17, 2025 in the context of the situation in Gaza stated: “We firmly reject the repeated displacement of Gaza’s population — and any notion of forced displacement outside Gaza.”

🇺🇳 UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the Arab League Summit on May 17, 2025: “We firmly reject the repeated displacement of Gaza’s population — and any notion of forced displacement outside Gaza.”https://t.co/dWHu45FXKa pic.twitter.com/slwfXtaAeS

— UN Palestinian Rights Committee (@UNISPAL) May 19, 2025

Famine imminent

According to Middle East Monitor, the Gaza Strip is currently experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises of modern times. The tragedy of hunger has reached unbearable levels, and the cries of those in need go unheard.

A World Food Programme post on X states, the latest food security analysis confirms – we are in a race against time to avoid famine.

#Gaza: The latest food security analysis confirms – we’re in a race against time to avoid famine.

We call on the international community to act urgently to get aid flowing again.

If we wait until after a famine is confirmed, it will already be too late for too many. pic.twitter.com/PMbvORKdxf

— World Food Programme (@WFP) May 18, 2025

“We call on the international community to act urgently to get aid flowing again. If we wait until after a famine is confirmed, it will already be too late for too many,” it warns.

$400 million luxury aircraft

According to AFP, the Qatari premier also rejected criticism of the wealthy Gulf country’s offer to US President Donald Trump of a $400 million luxury aircraft to serve as a new Air Force One.

He defended the gift as “an exchange between two countries”, adding that he viewed the issue as a “normal thing that happens between allies”.

He denied accusations of “bribery” or “that Qatar wants to buy influence with this administration”.