Qatar 'appalled' by reported criticism from Israel's Netanyahu - BBC.com

By David GrittenBBC News

Reuters

Qatar's foreign ministry said the Israeli prime minister's reported remarks were "irresponsible" but "not surprising"

Qatar has said it is "appalled" by remarks attributed to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he apparently called its role as a mediator in the Gaza war "problematic".

Israeli TV broadcast what it said was a recording of Mr Netanyahu telling the families of hostages held by Hamas that "you don't hear me thanking Qatar".

"They have leverage... because they finance [Hamas]," he reportedly adds.

Qatar said the comments, if true, were "irresponsible" but "not surprising".

The tiny Gulf emirate has had high-level contacts with Israel since the 1990s, but they have never officially established diplomatic relations.

Qatar has long championed the Palestinian cause and hosts political leaders of Hamas, which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK, the US and other countries.

It is has also provided hundreds of millions of dollars of aid for Gaza, which has been subject to a crippling blockade by Israel and Egypt since 2006, when Hamas won legislative elections. The blockade was tightened the following year when Hamas reinforced its power in Gaza by violently ousting Palestinian Authority (PA) forces.

Since 2018, Israeli governments have allowed Qatar to pay the wages of tens of thousands of civil servants in Gaza's Hamas-run government, financially support the poorest families, and fund fuel deliveries for the territory's sole power plant. Qatar insists the funding was only for civilian and humanitarian purposes.

The policy sparked controversy within Israel, with critics warning it was helping Hamas to stay in power and fund its military activities.

Mr Netanyahu - who has been re-elected to office for all but one of the past 15 years - said it was a way to dissuade attacks on Israel and prevent a humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

Following the cross-border attacks on southern Israel on 7 October, in which about 1,300 people were killed and 250 others were taken back to Gaza as hostages, he dismissed as a "big lie" accusations that he had also encouraged the payments in order to strengthen Hamas at the expense of the PA.

Israel responded to the attacks by launching a large-scale military campaign in Gaza with the aim of destroying Hamas. More than 25,000 people have been killed in the fighting, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Qatar used its ties with Hamas to help broker a week-long pause in the fighting in late November, during which 105 Israeli and foreign hostages were freed in exchange for some 240 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.

The emirate has for weeks been trying to broker a new ceasefire, with Gaza's humanitarian crisis worsening and with the Israeli government coming under mounting domestic pressure to secure the release of the remaining hostages.

On Tuesday, Israel's Channel 12 TV released what it said was a recording of Mr Netanyahu telling hostages' families: "You don't hear me thanking Qatar. Have you noticed?"

"Why? Because for me it is essentially no different from the UN or Red Cross, and in a certain sense is even more problematic - I have no illusions about them."

"But I'm ready to use any actor right now that helps me bring [the hostages] home," he added.

Israel has accused the UN and Red Cross of not doing enough to support the hostages or to help get them freed.

The prime minister purportedly said the reason Qatar could help was because of "leverage" over Hamas.

"Why do they have leverage? Because they finance them."

On Wednesday night, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "These remarks if validated, are irresponsible and destructive to the efforts to save innocent lives, but are not surprising."

"For months, and following a successful mediation last year that led to the release of more than 100 hostages, Qatar has been engaged in regular dialogue with the negotiating parties including Israeli institutions, attempting to establish the framework for a new hostage agreement and the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza."

He added that Mr Netanyahu appeared to be undermining the mediation efforts "for reasons that appear to serve his political career".

In response, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on X: "Qatar is a country that supports and finances terrorism. It is Hamas's patron and is largely responsible for the massacre of Israeli citizens by Hamas."

"One thing is certain: Qatar will not have one iota of involvement in Gaza on the day after the war," he added.

There was no immediate comment from Qatar's foreign ministry.

Meanwhile US President Biden is sending the director of the CIA to try to broker a new deal on hostages held in Gaza, the BBC's US partner CBS has confirmed.

William Burns will meet the Qatari PM and directors of Mossad, Israel's secret service, in France.

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Biden to deploy CIA director to help broker major Gaza deal - The Washington Post

President Biden plans to dispatch CIA Director William J. Burns in the coming days to help broker an ambitious deal between Hamas and Israel that would involve the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza and the longest cessation of hostilities since the war began last year, according to officials familiar with the matter.

Burns is expected to travel to Europe for the talks and meet with the Israeli and Egyptian intelligence chiefs, David Barnea and Abbas Kamel, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, these people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations. The planned gathering has not been previously reported.

Egypt and Qatar have been key interlocutors between Israel and Hamas, the militant group whose deadly cross-border attack on Oct. 7 set off the war in Gaza. The two countries helped secure an initial pause in hostilities and hostage release in November. But tensions between the Israelis and Qataris are on a razor’s edge after leaked audio of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu captured the Israeli leader disparaging Qatar in a conversation with Israeli hostage families.

Burns’s discussions in Europe are expected to build on his phone conversations with counterparts, as well as the work of the White House’s top Middle East official, Brett McGurk, who this week has held related meetings in Qatar’s capital, Doha, and in Cairo.

Israel’s latest proposal includes a 60-day pause in fighting in exchange for the phased release of the more than 100 captives, beginning with civilian women and children and followed by civilian men, military women and men, and the remains of those who have died since their abduction. Such a pause would allow Israel to continue fighting after the two-month lull in line with Netanyahu’s vow to achieve “total victory” by destroying Hamas.

The CIA declined to comment.

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The Israelis also have proposed that senior Hamas leaders agree to leave Gaza, but one official familiar with the negotiations said the idea was a nonstarter for the group and its military leaders, who are prepared to die as martyrs in the Palestinian enclave. Hamas also rebuffed Israel’s 60-day pause proposal, saying the next hostage release should involve a permanent cease-fire, the official said.

But multiple officials said negotiations on those key points remain active.

Samir Farag, a former Egyptian general and defense official, said both Hamas and Israel have shown a willingness to return to the negotiating table.

“Everybody wants peace — the Palestinians, Hamas and the Israelis. But everybody wants to win in the negotiations,” he said. “We are trying to reach a middle ground.”

Hamas’s possession of the hostages puts the group “in a very strong position,” Farag said.

“I think Netanyahu is under pressure, because the street in Israel, everybody wants to release the hostages,” he added. “So he has to do something, otherwise he’s in big trouble — especially because he lost a lot of soldiers in the war over there.” Some of the terms of the negotiations were reported by Axios and CNN.

The planned meeting between the spy chiefs and the Qatari prime minister reflects how far talks between Israel and Hamas have advanced in recent days, according to another U.S. official. “I do think that there have been enough exchanges of ideas and proposals that we are nearing the serious phase of negotiations,” the official said.

Strong disagreements remain about whether a pause in fighting could evolve into a lasting cease-fire, but the U.S. official said it could be achieved. “One can have cautious optimism that if you can get this thing to stop for two months, maybe you can get this thing to stop,” he said.

The discussions come as Israel’s forces encircle the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis, where they believe top Hamas commanders are located. The United Nations accused Israel of shelling a U.N. compound housing 30,000 displaced people on Wednesday, which sparked rare condemnation from the United States. Israel denied it was responsible for any “aerial or artillery strike” of the area.

Humanitarian organizations have reported that thousands of civilians are trapped in the city, many in hospitals. Across Gaza, more than 25,000 people, most of them civilians, have died since the fighting began, according to Palestinian health officials.

The violence has coincided with anger from Qatar over Netanyahu’s leaked remarks accusing Doha of failing to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages. He also said the Persian Gulf state was worse than the United Nations and the Red Cross, institutions Israel routinely accuses of anti-Israel bias.

“You haven’t seen me thank Qatar, have you noticed? I haven’t thanked Qatar. Why? Because Qatar, to me, is no different in essence from the U.N., from the Red Cross, and in a way it’s even more problematic,” said Netanyahu, according to audio obtained by Israel’s Channel 12.

Qatar said on X that it was “appalled” by the remarks, which spokesman Majed Al-Ansari called “irresponsible and destructive,” but “not surprising.” If Netanyahu’s comments were “found to be true,” Ansari said, “the Israeli [prime minister] would only be obstructing and undermining the mediation process, for reasons that appear to serve his political career instead of prioritizing saving innocent lives.”

An Israeli official did not immediately respond to a question on the leaked audio.

A U.S. official said the spat, though unwelcome, would not derail negotiations.

The spy chiefs and Qatari prime minister also met shortly before the conclusion of November’s deal, which involved the release of more than 100 captives in exchange for more than 200 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. The pause also allowed critical flows of humanitarian aid to northern Gaza, where inhabitants are approaching near-famine conditions. Burns and McGurk both played a role in securing that deal.

After a flurry of diplomacy this month, both parties appear to be close to an agreement, Farag said. But Hamas “asked for a guarantee, because sometimes they deliver the hostages and after that [Israel] will attack them again.”

The United States is the only actor positioned to offer such a guarantee, Farag said. Even if Netanyahu has paid little heed to American entreaties on its conduct of the war and the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza in recent months, he said, Egypt believes the United States retains crucial leverage by virtue of its military assistance to Israel. He referenced a famous quote by the late Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, who took part in talks brokered by President Jimmy Carter that led to the 1978 Camp David Accords and a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt the following year.

“We do believe that as President Sadat said, 99 percent of the solutions in every place in the world come from the United States,” Farag said.

He added: “The Americans, they are very powerful, believe me. They can do whatever they want. The Israelis, now they are facing a lot of problems — economic, because all the people that are working now in the army. But who is supporting Israel? The United States. Who gave them all of the munitions? … If the Americans said no, then it would stop.”

But Biden has appeared unwilling so far to put that kind of serious pressure on Netanyahu’s government, he said.

Michael Milshtein, a senior fellow at Reichman University and former head of Palestinian affairs for Israeli military intelligence, said he believes a deal could be reached in the coming weeks. “In Israel, there are more and more voices that really want to promote such a deal, and I think that Hamas also understands that the next stages of the conflict can cause this organization severe damages,” he said. “Both sides want to consider this idea.”

Parker reported from Cairo. Susannah George in Doha and Karen DeYoung in Washington contributed to this report.

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Hungary’s Orban backs Sweden’s NATO bid, potentially removing last hurdle to accession - CNN

CNN  — 

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban told NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that his government supports Sweden’s membership bid, potentially removing the final hurdle to accession after months of fraught negotiations.

“I reaffirmed that the Hungarian government supports the NATO membership of Sweden,” Orban wrote Wednesday on X.

Orban said he told Stoltenberg in a phone call he would urge Hungary’s National Assembly to vote in favor of Sweden’s bid to join the bloc at the first possible opportunity. The NATO chief said he welcomed Orban’s “clear support” for Sweden’s bid.

Hungary was until this week one of two countries that objected to and obstructed Sweden’s accession to NATO. The Turkish parliament voted Tuesday to approve Sweden’s bid, allowing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to sign the protocol into law.

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May 2022, swiftly after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine earlier that year. Finland joined NATO in April 2023 – doubling the alliance’s border with Russia – but Sweden’s bid was mired in challenges.

Erdogan objected to Sweden’s accession, accusing Swedish officials of being too lenient on militant groups, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Sweden has since tightened its anti-terror legislation and pledged closer cooperation with Turkey on security concerns.

Another obstacle was Sweden’s approval of a small Quran-burning demonstration outside a mosque in its capital, Stockholm, which coincided with the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Adha, one of the most significant in the Islamic calendar. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan condemned the decision, saying “to turn a blind eye to such heinous acts is to be complicit in them.”

Erdogan’s eventual approval was won in part by a commitment from the United States, with the Turkish president signaling that he won’t sign the protocol into law unless Washington approves the sales of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara. US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Ben Cardin said Tuesday that Congress is waiting for the completion of accession documents before moving forward on the matter.

Orban, considered to be the European Union leader closest to Russian President Vladimir Putin, initially indicated he was not opposed to Sweden joining the bloc, before working to stall it. Katalin Cseh, a Hungarian Member of the European Parliament, said last year that Orban’s blocking of Sweden’s bid was “quite simply, another favor to Vladimir Putin.”

But, following the Turkish parliament’s decision, Orban on Tuesday said he had invited his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson to visit Hungary to negotiate the terms of Sweden’s accession.

Stoltenberg said he had a “good call” with Orban on Wednesday, adding “I look forward to the ratification as soon as parliament reconvenes.”

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US, UK stage multiple airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen - ABC News

The U.S. and U.K. on Monday staged airstrikes against eight targets in Yemen aimed at stopping Iran-backed Houthi militants from attacking ships in the Red Sea.

The White House has insisted the retaliatory airstrikes -- seven rounds so far -- have been effective despite repeated Houthi attacks.

"Today, the militaries of the United States and United Kingdom, at the direction of their respective governments with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, conducted an additional round of proportionate and necessary strikes against 8 Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the Houthis' continued attacks against international and commercial shipping as well as naval vessels transiting the Red Sea," said a joint statement released by the nations involved in Monday's airstrikes.

"These precision strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of innocent mariners, and are in response to a series of illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing Houthi actions since our coalition strikes on January 11, including anti-ship ballistic missile and unmanned aerial system attacks that struck two U.S.-owned merchant vessels," the statement added.

"Today's strike specifically targeted a Houthi underground storage site and locations associated with the Houthis' missile and air surveillance capabilities," said the statement.

Houthi fighters march during a rally of support for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and against the U.S. strikes on Yemen outside Sanaa on Jan. 22, 2024.

AP

The statement made clear that the countries involved in Monday's strikes remain focused on de-escalating tensions and restoring stability to the region, but warned that "we will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways."

Monday's joint airstrike with the United Kingdom was similar to the first night of airstrikes on Jan. 11 that targeted 28 Houthi locations associated with the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Since then the U.S. had carried out five smaller scale airstrikes targeting Houthi missile sites that were being prepared for imminent launches to target commercial vessels or U.S. Navy ships.

This photograph provided by the Indian Navy shows U.S.-owned ship Genco Picardy that came under attack Wednesday from a bomb-carrying drone launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden, Jan.18, 2024.

Indian Navy via AP

But the Houthis have not been deterred from continuing to launch missiles and drones at commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden which have now risen to more than 30 attacks since mid-November.

Last week Houthi attacks struck two U.S.-owned vessels causing minor damage to the ships, but no injuries.

This photograph provided by the Indian Navy shows U.S.-owned ship Genco Picardy that came under attack Wednesday from a bomb-carrying drone launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden, Jan.18, 2024.

Indian Navy via AP

Earlier on Monday, President Joe Biden spoke by phone with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to discuss the Houthi threat to commercial shipping in the region.

"They reiterated their commitment to freedom of navigation, international commerce, and defending mariners from illegal and unjustifiable attacks," said a White House readout of their call.

Their conversation also touched on "the importance of increasing humanitarian aid and civilian protections for people in Gaza, and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas. The President and Prime Minister also reiterated their support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s continuing aggression."

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Israeli forces storm hospital as Khan Younis hit by bloodiest fighting of 2024 - Reuters

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

1. Israeli forces storm hospital as Khan Younis hit by bloodiest fighting of 2024  Reuters
2. Israeli attacks on Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza continue  Al Jazeera English
3. The latest on Israel's war in Gaza: Live updates  CNN
4. CBS News team has close call in Gaza as fierce fighting continues  CBS Mornings
5. Displaced Again, Gazans Flee Under Fire  U.S. News & World Report

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Iran ups the ante against US, proxies hit Iraq base with ballistic missiles - Business Insider

Military & Defense

Iran ups the ante against US, proxies strike Iraq military base with ballistic missiles

Rebecca Rommen

2024-01-21T12:07:57Z

Mike Pence delivers remarks to US troops at Al-Asad Air Base, Iraq, in 2019.

REUTERS

• US personnel in Iraq are undergoing traumatic brain injury evaluations.
• The evaluations follow a missile barrage launched by Iran-back militias on the Al-Asad airbase.
• Regional tensions have been escalating, with this militia's actions mirroring the Houthis' aggression.

US personnel in Iraq are undergoing traumatic brain injury evaluations after Iranian-backed militias launched a barrage of ballistic missiles and rockets at the Al-Asad airbase in western Iraq on Saturday, according to a statement from the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

The press release stated that multiple ballistic missiles and rockets were launched at about 6:30 p.m. Baghdad time on January 20. 

"Most of the missiles were intercepted by the base's air defense systems while others impacted on the base," per CENTCOM.

CENTCOM said that damage assessments are ongoing, and several US personnel are undergoing evaluation for traumatic brain injuries.

At least one Iraqi service member was reportedly wounded.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iran-backed militia group, claimed responsibility for firing the missiles that were launched from inside the country.

The attack is believed to be the largest among more than 140 incidents since mid-October, signifies a pattern of Iranian-backed militia groups targeting US forces in Iraq and Syria, ABC News reports.

The attacks are seen by some as acts of solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, mirroring similar actions by Houthi militants in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden against commercial shipping.

Unlike previous attacks primarily using Iranian-made drones and rockets, Saturday's assault involved more powerful ballistic missiles and repesents an escalatory move, per ABC News.

The Pentagon says strikes on Houthi rebels are 'defensive' measures

Missiles in a military parade held by the Houthis to mark the anniversary of their takeover in Sanaa, Yemen, September 21, 2023.

REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Iran also backs the Houthis and have triggered retaliatory strikes from the US.

The Pentagon has labeled its strikes on Houthi missiles as "defensive" measures.

The Houthis rebels' attacks on Red Sea shipping sought to support a ceasefire in Gaza.

The heightened tensions between Iran-backed militias and the US in Iraq follow a US military drone strike in Baghdad on January 4, which targeted a senior leader of one such militia, the Guardian reports.

There are 2,500 US troops still stationed in Iraq, part of the ongoing mission to counter the Islamic State terror group.

Another 900 US troops are deployed to Syria to prevent a resurgence by the Islamic State, the Pentagon reports.

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Latest Israel-Hamas war news and Gaza updates: Gaza death toll tops 25,000, health officials say - The Washington Post

Gaza’s Health Ministry said the number of people killed in the Strip during this war has passed 25,000, a grim marker reached in just over 100 days of devastating conflict. The Biden administration is planning a sustained military campaign targeting the Houthis in Yemen after several days of strikes failed to halt the rebel group’s attacks on maritime commerce, The Washington Post reported.

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