6 hours ago 2

Qatari prime minister says nothing will deter Qatar's mediation role

Al-Thani added that US officials first warned Qatar of the Israeli attack 10 minutes after the attack began, describing the attack as "treacherous."

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said during a press conference on Tuesday that the mediation efforts are part of the Qatari identity and nothing would deter its role in that regard, hours after Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha.

"Qatar has spared no efforts and will do everything it can to stop this war in Gaza, but for current talks, I do not think there's something valid right now after what we saw from today's attack," al-Thani said at a news conference.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Gulf state announced that it was officially suspending negotiations for a hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

In the press conference, Al-Thani blamed Israel for sabotaging what he said were chances for peace, sharply criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he said practiced "state terrorism."

Israeli sources told The Jerusalem Post that the Israeli strike, targeting a gathering of senior Hamas officials, will actually help advance negotiations for a hostage deal.

"At first, Hamas will likely declare that there will be no negotiations and no deal, but in the end - the talks will resume," an Israeli source knowledgeable about the matter said.

Al-Thani added that US officials first warned Qatar of the Israeli attack 10 minutes after the attack began, describing the attack as "treacherous."

Qatar says it will respond to Israeli attack

"Qatar reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack and will take all necessary measures to respond," he added, saying a legal team has been formed to handle the Gulf country's response to the attack.

However, Army Radio reported shortly afterwards that the Qatari foreign minister said that the "message Israel is sending is that no one in the region is safe.”

“The State of Qatar strongly condemns the cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of the political bureau of Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha,” said Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson of the Qatari Foreign Ministry.

“This criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of the residents in Qatar,” he added.

“While Qatar strongly condemns this assault, it confirms that it will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and the ongoing disruption of regional security, nor any act that targets its security and sovereignty.”