NEW YORK: Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has said a “Palestinian party” was responsible for violating the Gaza ceasefire, after the reported killing of an Israeli soldier in Rafah triggered deadly retaliatory strikes by Israel.
Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Sheikh Mohammed described the incident as “a violation by the Palestinian party,” noting that Hamas had denied contact with the group behind the attack but that “there is no verification if this is true or not.”
The reported attack in southern Gaza prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order what he called “powerful” retaliatory strikes.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 104 people, mostly women and children, were killed in the bombardment, while Israel said it targeted senior Hamas fighters and later reinstated the truce by mid-Wednesday.
“We’ve been engaging intensively with both parties to ensure that the ceasefire holds,” Sheikh Mohammed said. “The US engagement, of course, was key in that. And I believe what happened yesterday was a violation.”
He also said discussions had taken place over the transfer of bodies from Gaza, suggesting Hamas was attempting to delay the process. “We made it very clear that this was part of their commitment that needed to be fulfilled,” he added.
Qatar has been a leading mediator in negotiations between Israel and Hamas since the war began in October 2023. The Gulf state, working alongside Egypt and the United States, helped broker several temporary ceasefires that enabled hostage exchanges and limited humanitarian access to Gaza.
“From our perspective, since October 7 until today, the process has been full of challenges and obstacles,” Sheikh Mohammed said. “It wasn’t an easy road. We tried our best to navigate and make sure we achieved the first, the second, and now this ceasefire that we hope will last.”
He described the Rafah attack and its aftermath as “very disappointing and frustrating,” adding that Qatar had immediately mobilised diplomatic channels to contain the situation.
“We acted right away in full coordination with the United States,” he said. “And we have seen that the US remains committed to the deal.”
The prime minister’s comments came amid renewed scrutiny of the fragile truce, which has repeatedly collapsed under mutual accusations of violations. Israel maintains that Hamas continues to regroup under the cover of ceasefires, while Hamas accuses Israel of using humanitarian pauses to reposition forces for further assaults.
Qatar’s latest intervention underscores the mounting strain on mediators as efforts to stabilise Gaza falter once again. Despite ongoing diplomacy, prospects for a lasting ceasefire remain uncertain, with both sides trading blame for the breakdown of the truce and regional mediators struggling to prevent a wider escalation.
