Gaza war spotlights Qatar’s role as a regional mediator

Tensions are sky-high in the Middle East following Hamas’ surprise attack in southern Israel one month ago. Traumatised by ‘Operation al-Aqsa Flood’, which resulted in roughly 1,400 of its citizens being killed, Israel is intent on revenge.

Tel Aviv’s brutal aerial bombing campaign, ground offensive, and “complete siege” of Gaza have subjected the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in the besieged enclave to humanitarian nightmares that worsen by the minute, with 10,000 Palestinians killed so far, including over 4,000 children.

Meanwhile, anger across the wider Arab-Islamic world is intensifying, with much of it directed at the United States.

Like the other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member-states, Qatar is extremely concerned about the potential for this crisis to escalate and spill into other parts of the Middle East and perhaps beyond.

Doha has responded to the past month of violence by attempting to cool tensions. The Gulf country’s leadership is trying to open up more space for dialogue while condemning Israeli war crimes.

Speaking before his country’s Shura council on 24 October, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani addressed the situation in Gaza for the first time since Hamas waged ‘Operation al-Aqsa Flood’.

The Qatari head of state called on the international community to deny the Israelis “unrestricted authorisation to kill” Palestinians.

Qatar has also worked to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. So far, Qatari and Egyptian mediation has led to the successful release of four hostages and the evacuation of individuals in Gaza who have foreign passports and dozens of Palestinians with dire medical conditions.

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