Sobia Khursheed
Qatar’s Prime Minister, H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has announced that Hamas and Israel have reached an agreement that will end the war in Gaza and Israeli hostages will be released. The multi-phased ceasefire deal brokered by Qatari, Egyptian, and United States’s diplomats, highlights the diplomatic clout of these countries. The deal was brokered in Qatar, underscoring its role as a key player not only in the geopolitics of the Middle East but also a reputable mediator in international conflicts. It illustrates Qatar’s capacity to leverage its diplomatic channels and resources to achieve tangible results in attaining regional peace.
The recent ceasefire deal has been agreed upon after 15 months of devastating assault in response to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 07, 2023, in which around 1139 Israelis were killed. More than 46,000 Palestinians, nearly 70% of them comprising children and women have been killed, more than 70% of civilian infrastructure has been destroyed, and approximately 1.9 million Gazans have been displaced. Qatar has opted for a multilateral approach, supported by the United States, Egypt, and broader international support to halt the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
However, this is not the first time that Qatar has successfully achieved a positive outcome out of an intense situation. Its role as a mediator goes beyond the recent Isreal-Hamas ceasefire. The Doha agreement, signed in 2008, successfully ended an 18th-month severe political crisis in Lebanon, which brought the country to the brink of a civil war. Qatar, under the leadership of the Father Amir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, hosted intensive negotiations in Doha which brought together all major political groups. The successful mediation of Qatar ended in a power-sharing arrangement which reverted the possibility of civil war and led to the election, forming a national unity government and giving opposition a right of veto over government decisions.
Similarly, Qatar enjoys an admirable record of mediating talks between the then-autocratic government of Omar al-Bashir and Darfur’s groups, and in-between Sudan and South Soudan as well as the 2011 Darfur peace deal. It has successful diplomatic endeavors in Eritrea and Djibouti; Sudan and Chad; negotiated deals to release Americans held hostage in Iran; Afghanistan, and Venezuela; and secured a deal to release hostages held by various groups in Syria, demonstrating its political influence.
Qatar also played an instrumental role in formalizing the agreement to bring peace to Afghanistan by hosting the Taliban’s political office in Doha as a neutral venue for peace negotiations with the United States (U.S.) that ended with the withdrawal of the U.S. troops from Afghanistan. These talks were facilitated by Qatar’s diplomatic efforts, showing its commitment to conflict resolution and proving its mantle as a mediator in one of the most complex geopolitical issues.
Despite its small size, limited military and defense capabilities, and small population, these deals underscore Qatar’s capacity to navigate highly sensitive and complex negotiations on the global stage. Multiple factors highlight its emerging role as a key player in global politics. To begin with, Qatar maintains an independent and neutral foreign policy as a cornerstone of its geopolitical strategy. Its strategic neutrality and active diplomacy enable it to maintain open communication with diverse states and non-state actors. Additionally, unlike many of its neighboring Gulf countries, it has cultivated relationships beyond regional alignments, such as holding political office of the Taliban while also being the country with the largest U.S. military base in the region. Moreover, its vast energy wealth is a way to influence global politics by supporting reconstruction and humanitarian aid in conflict zones. For example, its humanitarian aid to Sudan and financial contributions to Gaza’s rebuilding have solidified its position. Finally, effective leadership, combined with the vision, determination, and commitment to peace has been the driving force of Qatar’s evolving role.
Though its active diplomacy, mediation, and humanitarian assistance have enhanced its stature in the global arena, Qatar’s role has garnered criticism of implicit support and controversial relationships with various groups. Its ambitions as a regional power also invite skepticism from other regional countries.
In the contemporary world, ceasefires are often considered significant diplomatic victories, not only for the parties directly involved in the conflict or war but also for the states that mediate such agreements. The state’s power and its diplomatic ability to successfully negotiate a ceasefire demonstrates a state’s diplomatic influence and its role as a key player in maintaining regional stability and global politics. Such soft power initiatives give legitimacy and national prestige on the international stage as an influential player. The recent agreement underscores Qatar’s ability to navigate complex geopolitical dynamics and foster dialogue among conflicting situations to achieve desired outcomes.
Sobia Khursheed is currently serving as the Assistant Director at NUST Institute of Policy Studies, NUST’s integral think tank. She is a former Visiting Faculty Member at the National Defence University (NDU). She has presented her research on Pakistan’s Foreign Relations, South Asia, contemporary global issues, and women’s empowerment at national and international forums.
