No more “business as usual”.
Blinken urges Qatar to distance itself from Hamas
October 13, 2023, 9:35 p.m
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Qatar is one of Hamas’ main donors. US Secretary of State Blinken wants to urge the emirate to move away from the terrorist organization. The Emir’s answer in Doha is sobering: the group’s office is important for peace in the region.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, traveling through Arab states and visiting Qatar, declared that there should no longer be “business as usual” with the militant Palestinian group Hamas. Every country must condemn Hamas for its rampage through Israeli cities in which more than 1,200 Israelis were killed, Blinken said in Doha during a joint appearance with Emir Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.
On his trip to seven countries in the region, Blinken hopes to prevent the conflict between Israel and Hamas from spreading. He also advocates for the release of Israeli and American hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Emir: Hamas office serves to broker peace
The emir, who also met with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Thursday, signaled that Qatar would not close Hamas’ political office because it serves “as a means of communication and conveying peace and tranquility in the region.” Qatar had recently offered to mediate the release of the hostages. Alluding to the Israeli attacks on the Gaz Strip, the Emir demanded that international law must be adhered to. “People are people everywhere, whether they are Israeli or Palestinian, they have the same value,” he said.
Blinken first met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and asked him that Israel should do everything it could to protect the lives of civilians in its response against Hamas. He declined to say whether the US supported a ground offensive by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip. The US government is discussing with Israel and aid organizations how to set up “safe zones” for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, Blinken said instead. “We believe this is the best way to ensure that civilians caught in Hamas’ crossfire are safe and receive the help they need,” he said.