Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed says inclusive engagement is essential to resolve crises from Afghanistan to Gaza
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani speaks at the 23rd edition of the Doha Forum during a session moderated by American journalist Tucker Carlson. Photo:
DOHA:
In a region facing conflict from Afghanistan to Gaza, Qatar on Sunday pushed for inclusive political engagement, including with non-state actors, as the only realistic path to lasting stability.
Speaking at the 23rd Doha Forum, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said lasting peace requires direct communication with all parties to a conflict, including armed groups often shunned by Western capitals.
In a session moderated by American journalist Tucker Carlson, Sheikh Mohammed said regional crises, whether in Afghanistan, Palestine or beyond, cannot be resolved by excluding key actors on the ground. “You cannot resolve or reach a solution if there is no one to talk to non-state actors,” he said.
Qatar is one of the mediators trying to find a rapprochement between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime. Sheikh Mohammed noted that Qatar’s long-standing approach to mediation has been shaped by this principle, which has underpinned its participation in negotiations, from the Afghan peace process to repeated ceasefire efforts in Gaza.
He explained that Qatar’s relationship with Hamas began more than a decade ago at the request of the United States, which wanted a reliable channel of communication with the Palestinian group. “When they moved their office here in 2012, it was used only for communications and to facilitate the ceasefire and aid to Gaza,” he said.
Similarly, he continued, the Taliban’s political office in Doha, created in 2013, was also opened at the request of Washington during the group’s war against the United States and the former Afghan government.
Qatar hosted years of peace talks in Afghanistan, which ultimately paved the way for the Doha Agreement and the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. These experiences, Sheikh Mohammed argued, demonstrate the need to have a neutral platform to interact with actors who “have real influence on the ground.”
Responding to accusations that Qatari funds intended for humanitarian aid in Gaza had been diverted to Hamas, the prime minister was emphatic: “All of our aid, funding and all of our support went to the people of Gaza, and it was a very transparent process that the United States is very aware of.”
He said Israel itself had facilitated the distribution of funds and humanitarian assistance in the besieged enclave. He criticized political actors who he claimed were distorting Qatar’s role for domestic benefits. “Politicians are trying to use this for short-term political gain… to feed their narratives,” he said.
He highlighted that Qatar’s mediation has yielded tangible results, including multiple ceasefires, humanitarian pauses, hostage releases and evacuation agreements.
This Doha Forum brought together more than 5,000 delegates from 162 countries, including presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers, global policy experts and heads of international organizations. The event, one of the Middle East’s most influential political platforms, explored conflict resolution, humanitarian crises, global governance and economic instability.
The prime minister also referred to the Israeli attack on Qatari territory in September, calling it a flagrant violation of diplomatic norms and mediation principles. “For one of the parties to bombard the mediator is something unprecedented,” he said. “It was an unethical move.”
Sheikh Mohammed revealed that US President Donald Trump reacted with surprise and frustration upon learning of the Israeli actions. “President Trump expressed his frustration, his disappointment, because he knows everything about the process and how helpful we were throughout the process,” he said.
Commenting on the devastation of Gaza following Israel’s two-year military campaign, he reiterated Qatar’s commitment to humanitarian support but said the burden of reconstruction must fall on the responsible party. “We will do everything possible to alleviate their suffering,” he said. “But we won’t sign the check for what others destroyed.”
He criticized the international community for what he described as a “double standard”, comparing calls for Russia to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine with the reluctance of many countries to hold Israel responsible for the reconstruction of Gaza.
According to UN estimates, 92% of residential buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, generating up to 60 million tons of debris. Experts believe reconstruction could take decades.
Sheikh Mohammed strongly opposed any attempt to forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza. “They have the choice of where to go and they don’t want to leave their country,” he said. “I don’t see that anyone has the right to deport them or force them to go somewhere else.”
He stressed that Palestinians should not be treated as a people who can be “reorganized or relocated” at the convenience of regional powers.
