DOHA: Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani denies claims that Qatar had received prior notification from the United States before the Israeli attack, stressing that the first call from an American official came ten minutes after the strike.
According to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs explained that the message conveyed at that time was that the United States (US) side had just been informed of the attack.
He clarified that the strike occurred at 3.46pm, while the first call from a US official was received at 3.56pm, ten minutes later.
The Prime Minister further noted that US President Donald Trump later phoned the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, during which he condemned the attack and confirmed the official US position that Washington had no prior knowledge of the attack, nor had there been any coordination beforehand, with the notification only arriving after it had already begun.
On the performance of air defences, the Prime Minister said that Qatari defence system had proven effective in accurately intercepting Iranian missile strikes without any damage, but in this case Israel used weapons that radar systems were unable to detect, making the assault completely treacherous and unforeseen.
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Sheikh Mohammed stressed that all rumours or claims being circulated and promoted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were baseless fabrications.
Regarding Gaza talks, Sheikh Mohammed confirmed that Qatar had spared no effort to make ceasefire negotiations succeed and would continue to do everything necessary to end the assaults on the Strip. He added that there are currently no active negotiations over any deal while the Israeli attacks continue.
The Prime Minister emphasised that Qatari diplomacy has never been built on short-term positions or reactions toward particular parties, but rather on firm principles aimed at achieving regional stability through peaceful solutions and intensive diplomatic engagement. He underlined that wars and conflicts will not bring about the desired stability.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed that mediation is an integral part of Qatar’s foreign policy identity, and that the country remains firmly committed to this role in order to safeguard regional stability and ensure the security and prosperity of its peoples. - Bernama-QNA
