Fri. Nov 8th, 2024
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Suddenly, Qatar is one of the most important countries in the world.

The behind-the-scenes role Qatar is playing is a key factor in why the Israeli army has still not begun a ground invasion of Gaza.

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears keen to give the go-ahead to the troops. The army is primed to go, having been sitting along the border for more than a week. Army reservists — more than 300,000 of them — have reported for duty and are ready for war. The majority of Israeli media is behind an invasion. And there’s strong public support.

So why hasn’t it happened? One of the important reasons is Qatar and hostage negotiations.

This is the same small Arab country that spent $US220 billion on last year’s soccer World Cup — by far the most ever spent by any country to buy the world’s most popular sporting event.

But the new war between Israel and Hamas has done something very different for Qatar: it’s gone from being at the centre of world sport to the centre of international politics.

Key world leaders now want to talk to Qatar — made all the more interesting given that Qatar is a major funder and supporter of Hamas.

A Qatari official told NBC News that between 2012 and 2021, Qatar provided $US1.49 billion in financial aid to support projects for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, governed by the Hamas Government in Gaza.

NBC News also reported that the deal triggered criticism in Israel and discomfort in Washington. But former US officials, who were in government at the time, said there were no easy options given that Hamas, which had crushed its political rivals, was firmly in charge.

“I think there was broad recognition that the situation in Gaza was pretty awful,” former CIA Director John Brennan has said. “There needed to be some flow of funds from somewhere [and] Qatar had the financial wherewithal to do that.”

Over several years Qatar has also offered Hamas officials a base in the country, believing they are in danger from Israel if they remain in Gaza.

It’s not the first time Qatar has acted as an intermediary to third parties. It facilitated the 2020 Doha Agreement which featured talks between the US and the Taliban .

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is now in regular contact with Qatar. And France’s President Emmanuel Macron also wants to talk to Qatar’s leaders.

Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a point of meeting Qatar’s leaders this week including Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, to see whether he can get Britain’s hostages near the front of the Qatar-Hamas release queue.

Bahrain says it is cutting diplomatic ties to Qatar amid a deepening rift between Gulf Arab nations.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.(AP: Osama Faisal)

The source of Qatar’s new power

This sudden and dramatic new status for Qatar comes from the fact that if your country has hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, Qatar is your best chance — perhaps your only chance — of getting them out.

Washington has noted the growing importance of Qatar in recent years, particularly as an indirect channel to Hamas.

Blinken – not known for his interest in soccer – visited Doha for the opening of the FIFA World Cup. The US State Department put a folksy spin on it. “The Secretary will be cheering on the US Men’s National Team in its first game of the World Cup, as the United States takes on Wales,” it said.

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