Qatar emerged as a key player in the events of the Al-Aqsa Flood battle, successfully establishing its role and political presence as a primary mediator in regional crises and conflicts. While the October 7, 2023 operation could have posed a significant challenge to Qatar due to its hosting of a large portion of Hamas’s leadership, Qatar managed to turn this challenge into an opportunity and a source of strength, enhancing its effectiveness and political presence on both regional and international levels.
First: Determinants of Qatar’s Position
Qatar’s stance on the Al-Aqsa Flood battle was influenced by a set of key factors, including:
Strong Ties with the Palestinian Cause: Qatar’s continuous support for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Beyond its significant contribution to the Palestinian Authority’s budget, Qatar’s grant, ongoing since 2018, has been one of the important financial sources bolstering the resilience of Gaza’s residents against the severe blockade imposed since 2007.
Proactive Qatari Policy: Qatar’s ongoing desire to enhance its presence and political influence on regional and international levels by adopting a strategy of mediating in regional and international conflicts. Over the past years, Qatar has successfully established itself as a trusted and preferred mediator, especially with the United States, as evidenced by its role in mediations between the U.S. and groups like the Taliban, Iran, and Venezuela. Qatar’s recent efforts to mediate between Palestinian resistance movements and Israel cap a long history of diplomatic successes.
Qatar’s Openness to Various Palestinian Parties: Qatar’s positive and balanced relations with various Palestinian factions, including hosting Hamas’s political bureau since 2012, have played a crucial role in enhancing Qatar’s influence in the Palestinian issue. This has solidified Qatar’s position as a preferred mediator for Hamas, which has openly expressed satisfaction with Qatar’s efforts in supporting the Palestinian people and in conducting constructive and neutral mediations in various key moments.
Strategic Relations with the United States: Qatar’s strategic ties with the U.S. have enabled it to play significant roles in the Palestinian issue and to host Hamas leadership within the framework of Qatari-American understandings. In 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden declared Qatar a major non-NATO ally.
Qatar’s Soft Power: Qatar’s possession of various elements and tools of influence in diplomatic, media, and economic fields, and its success in efficiently employing its soft power, have contributed to achieving numerous political accomplishments.
Second: Features of Qatar’s Position on the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle
Despite being surprised like other political entities by the October 7 operation, Qatar quickly adapted positively to the new developments. Key features of Qatar’s management of its stance on the Al-Aqsa Flood battle include:
Condemnation of Israeli Aggression: Qatar condemned the Israeli aggression on Gaza, holding Israeli policies responsible for the escalation and destabilization of the region. It denounced the massacres and genocide committed by the occupation forces against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.
Calls for Ceasefire: Throughout the Al-Aqsa Flood battle, Qatar consistently called for a ceasefire, an end to the escalation, and the restoration of calm in the region. Qatar actively participated in political and diplomatic efforts to stop the aggression on Gaza, playing a significant role in the Arab and Islamic summit held in Riyadh on 11/11/2023. The summit sought to take effective measures to stop Israeli crimes. In his speech at the summit, the Emir of Qatar stated, “The ongoing war crime in Gaza necessitates that our Islamic countries take a firm stance and deterrent steps commensurate with the weight and influence of our countries, and in line with the position of our peoples and their sentiments regarding the ongoing events.”
Handling Political and Media Campaigns: Qatar faced political and media campaigns aimed at inciting against it and attempting to hold it responsible for the October 7 attack due to its hosting of Hamas leadership and the financial support it provides to Gaza’s residents. This prompted Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on 13/10/2023 to affirm that “Qatar’s commitment to its role as a partner in peacebuilding and a mediator in conflict resolution should not be exploited to tarnish its reputation by leveling accusations that have proven to be false and ill-intentioned.” A statement issued by the Qatari Foreign Ministry on 9/10/2023 clarified that “Qatar is not a financial supporter of Hamas; it provides aid to Gaza, and the destination of the funds is entirely transparent.” The statement added that “Qatari aid is fully coordinated with Israel, the United Nations, and the United States.”
Leading Diplomatic Efforts: Qatar’s most notable official role during the crisis was its active diplomatic efforts and leadership in mediating to secure a ceasefire and reach prisoner exchange agreements between the Palestinian resistance and Israeli authorities, under direct American supervision.
Influential Qatari Media: Qatari media played a pivotal role during the battle, successfully covering the ground details and the political and popular movement inside and outside Palestine. This outstanding media performance led the Israeli government to unanimously issue a decision on 5/5/2024 to ban Al Jazeera’s operations in the occupied territories and to confiscate its broadcasting equipment on charges of incitement and undermining the country’s security.
Third: Expectations
Qatar’s numerous successes in political mediation have demonstrated the importance of its strategy, which is based on building long-term relationships with a wide range of global actors. This has provided Qatar with significant leverage, enabling it to successfully mediate in many critical issues. It is likely that Qatar will continue its active mediation efforts in the coming period to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, despite obstacles arising from Netanyahu’s intransigence and his insistence on continuing the aggression.
However, it remains unclear to what extent Qatari mediation efforts might be affected by a potential regional escalation if the confrontation between Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah intensifies following the recent Israeli assassinations of Hamas’s political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah’s military commander Fouad Shukr. Additionally, the potential impact of Republican candidate Donald Trump’s victory in the upcoming November presidential elections on Qatar’s diplomacy, mediation, and active roles in the Palestinian issue remains uncertain.
