Afət Ziyadqızı
Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip constituted war crimes and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be held accountable.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Al Thani made the remarks in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan on the program “Piers Morgan Uncensored.”
He said Netanyahu was seeking to manipulate public opinion and create a false perception of reality by attacking Qatar.
The Qatari prime minister said Netanyahu was shifting blame onto others instead of focusing on the actions of himself and his government. “Netanyahu is a war criminal. He is trying to project what he has done onto others,” Al Thani said.
Al Thani again condemned Israel’s attack on Doha last year. Saying that attacks on mediators created a dangerous precedent, he added: “Netanyahu has crossed the red line.”
Addressing the regional situation, Qatar’s prime minister said the effects of the war were not limited to Iran and the region but also threatened the global economy. He said Qatar had repeatedly warned about these consequences.
Al Thani said Qatar was seeking diplomatic solutions to help reach an agreement between the United States and Iran in coordination with the US administration. He said mediation was not easy but emphasized that “diplomacy behind closed doors” was the most effective way to make progress.
The Qatari prime minister said three main issues needed to be resolved to reduce tensions in the region.
According to him, the first priority was to conclude a nuclear agreement that would satisfy the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency while guaranteeing Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy through the lifting of sanctions.
He also said it was important to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and that any agreement in this area should be based on international law.
Al Thani also said security mechanisms in the region needed to be improved, including through the involvement of Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Iran.
