Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani
Doha, Qatar: The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has said that Qatar’s relationship with the US is very solid.
“Our relation with the US is very solid and the alliance has been established through the decades – we have been working together very closely in assuring peace and stability in the region and on several occasions, Qatar has been always stepping up to this partnership,” he said in an interview with CBS News yesterday.
“If you recall Afghanistan and currently, we have been working very closely with the White House, the CIA, and the State Department to make sure that this deal is happening. The President of the US is in constant contact with H H the Amir and I have been in constant communication with our colleagues in the White House, CIA and the State Department as well.”
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani speaks with CBS News on Qatar's decades-long relationship with the US, support for the Palestinian people, and achievements with reference to the humanitarian truce pact. #Qatar pic.twitter.com/H3h4xdhx7e
— The Peninsula Qatar (@PeninsulaQatar) November 26, 2023
He said that the relationship is based on trust and the mutual interest of both countries.
Talking about the political office of Hamas in Doha, he said, “This office, when it was established, was done in coordination with the US to establish communication with Hamas. It was not only useful for the US but also for the stability of the region and you know right now we are in the middle of the negotiations. We will always keep the communications open with everyone.”
On Qatar’s role in the future of Gaza, he said, “Our relationship is with the Palestinian people – our support for the Palestinian people has been ongoing for decades and this is what Qatar stood for. Whoever is governing the Palestinians is their choice and I believe that our focus right now is how to end this war and how to ensure that this is not repeated. The only way to ensure that this is not repeated is to resolve it peacefully and have a political solution, providing the Palestinian people with a horizon of a political state. And the day after who will govern Gaza – Gaza and West Bank should be one unit, one country under one leadership that will be chosen by the Palestinian people.”
To another question about the release of more Americans, he said: “We are hopeful actually there are still some names which are supposed to be in the first group, and until now we didn’t get the confirmation yet, but you know we are working on a daily basis and making sure that every day we have the list of the next day.”
He added: “So we are hopeful that to have a confirmation of a proof of life of them and hopefully the result at end of the agreement. As I mentioned things are happening on a daily basis and we are focused on today’s operation and hopefully that will happen very shortly from now.”
When asked whether he was expecting an extension to the truce, he said, “Actually we are hopeful according to the agreement. The agreement has a provision that if Hamas are able to prove, locate, and secure some of the hostages that are within the criteria of the first group, which are women and children, then it will be extended depending on the number that they will have. This is something we cannot confirm yet until we get to the fourth day, then Hamas should present the list if they are available with them.”
Regarding Qatari delegations’ visits to Israel and Gaza, he said: “Our delegations have reached Israel and Gaza. They are totally two separate delegations. Gaza delegation is focused on ensuring that humanitarian aid is sufficient, the humanitarian aid that’s going in Gaza and it’s a pure humanitarian mission.”
When asked about the whereabouts of Yahya Sinwar, the Prime Minister said: “Well I don’t think this information is available to anyone except the people who are close to him, and this is information that doesn’t relate much to what we are doing right now and on the ongoing negotiations.
Our communications throughout the years with Hamas have been very exclusive to the political wing and political representatives in the office here in Doha and that’s it. And we don’t directly deal or had any dealing with the military wing.”
