Watan-Hebrew media outlets have published a leaked recording from the recent meeting of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the families of Israeli prisoners in Gaza.
In the leaked recording, which was published by Israeli Channel 12, Netanyahu expressed his dissatisfaction with Qatar and the United States regarding negotiations for the exchange of prisoners with Hamas and the resolution of the conflict in Gaza.
What did Netanyahu say about Qatar?
In the leaked recording, Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Qatar has the capacity to exert greater pressure on the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, but they are not doing so. He criticized Qatar on numerous occasions when speaking publicly about this issue, saying, “I’m not delusional about them because they (the Qataris) are no different from the United Nations or the Red Cross, and dealing with them poses a bigger challenge.”
What did Netanyahu say about Biden?
Netanyahu also expressed his disappointment with the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, which reached an agreement to extend its military presence at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar for another ten years.
Regarding the Qatari-American agreement, Netanyahu commented, “This is not the pressure,” indicating that he had hoped the United States would use the extension of the agreement as leverage to press Qatar, and in turn, pressure Hamas to release the prisoners.
Netanyahu’s request to the prisoners’ families? Netanyahu encouraged the families of the prisoners to urge the international community to exert pressure on entities that can influence the situation, with Qatar being the primary target due to its alleged financial support for Hamas.
During the same session, the military advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister stated that they were waiting for confirmation from Qatar “in any way that the medications have reached (the prisoners).”
Qatar confirms completion of medication deal
The spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, Majed Al-Ansari, confirmed that Qatar, in collaboration with France, had delivered about 11 tons of medical aid, including medications for the detained Israelis in Gaza. Al-Ansari noted that the aid had entered Gaza in a very limited manner, with only one hospital currently operational in the sector.
He further stated in a press conference that mediation efforts are ongoing in Gaza, but the escalation in the region is affecting these efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.