Qatar’s foreign minister met with Hamas’ political leaders on Saturday calling for Israel to stop attacks in Gaza, state media reported.
“The international community should move quickly to end Israeli brutality and constant attacks against the people of Gaza and the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said in a strongly worded statement issued by the official QNA news agency.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh also confirmed Qatar’s support of their “Palestinian brothers”.
The meeting came with Israel entering on the 7th day of the strike in Gaza, largely at Hamas, who respond rockets attack by Israel.
The conflict was first sparked in the Al-Aqsa mosque between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces.
Hamas has set a deadline for Israel to withdraw its troops from the Mosque, and when they did not do so , launched rocket attacks.
“We warned that the Al-Aqsa Mosque is a red line and we told Netanyahu: ‘Don’t play with fire”, Haniyeh said in Doha, speaking to hundreds of protesters supporting Palestine.
Qatar supports Hamas by providing millions of dollars in aid and loans and sometimes mediating between them and Israel.
AFP, VOA and Mustaqbal
