clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Qatar: We will continue to support Gaza

February 18, 2019 at 10:38 am

Palestinians hold flags of Qatar and Palestine during a press conference of Ambassador Mohamed Al-Emadi in Gaza on 19 February 2018 [Middle East Monitor / Mohammed Asad]

The Deputy of Head of Qatar’s Ministerial Council, Mohammad Bin Abdel-Rahman Al-Thani, yesterday reiterated that his country would continue supporting the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

While speaking during a security conference in the German city of Munich, Al-Thani said: “We do not fund Hamas [which governs the besieged Gaza Strip], but we try to contain the humanitarian crisis in Gaza in a very clear way,” Safa news agency reported.

Regarding Qatar’s relations with Iran, Al-Thani said: “Iran is our neighbour and we share with them the largest gas field since the establishment of our country. We have shared borders and this is the geographic nature [of our relations].” He added: “We were pushed to use the Iranian skies due to the crisis [the Saudi-UAE blockade of Qatar] and we appreciate them for this.”

The Qatari minister stressed: “The different views between the Gulf and Iran should be solved through dialogue. This is not the stance of Qatar alone, but the stance of the Gulf Cooperation Council.”

On the topic of Turkey, Al-Thani said: “We have strong relations with Turkey and established a relationship [with them] beyond the crisis with the Gulf States.” He stated that his country is not under any pressure to make allies, saying: “We take the appropriate decision when our nation needs it”.

READ: Qatar paid $1.1bn to Gaza since 2012