Herzog contradicts Netanyahu: Hamas blocks negotiations on hostages, not Qatar

During a meeting on Sunday with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, President Isaac Herzog welcomed Qatar’s mediation efforts in hostage negotiations, contradicting recent comments from sources close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu according to which Doha has hampered progress by dissuading the Palestinian terrorist group of Hamas to accept the conditions of Israel.

“There are the mediators, Qatar and Egypt, which make major mediation efforts, but in the end, it is necessary to be ready to accept, and Hamas still refuses to respond,” Herzog told his Cypriot counterpart about the current talks, according to a press release from the President’s office.

Following the missile shot launched earlier on Sunday by the Houthis near the Ben Gurion airport, Herzog told Christodoulides that, although Israel has “excellent air and defense systems”, this strike “is an example for the whole of the global violation community of all the rules of international law by a terrorist organization of around 50,000 people”.

“This shows the Empire of Tehran’s evil – how he heavily arms his agents, influencing the cost of living, travel, everything. We have a common goal: to ensure that stability and security come back immediately, “he continued.

Before meeting Herzog, Christdoulides met the families of two hostages. At the end of this meeting, which he described as “incredibly moving” he wrote on the social network X that “all the remaining hostages must be released immediately”.

Christdoulids told families of hostages that if he had no good news concerning the return of hostages as soon as possible, “Cyprus would make it one of his priorities during his presidency of the European Union, so that the country can do everything in its power to help them”, according to the Cypriot media Philenews.

Cyprus will assume the rotating presidency until the beginning of 2026.

Herzog declared about the hostages that “there is nothing more urgent for us than bringing them home”.

The Israeli president also thanked Cyprus for sending planes to help Israel manage major forest fires that declared themselves near Jerusalem last week.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, attributed to Qatar the failure of the last hostage agreement, according to the Prime Minister’s office.

“We put pressure on Hamas so that he [libère les otages] With the support of our friends, “said Netanyahu in a statement from the Prime Minister’s office after his meeting with the Cypriot president, adding that” we ask others to put pressure not only on Hamas but also on Qatar, who has a decisive influence on Hamas – an influence that is not always exercised but which could be “.

“In reality, we had an agreement for the hostages that was about to materialize, an agreement that would have released almost half of the hostages, with the help of Egypt, but that did not happen. It is Qatari Cooperation…. Who could have allowed this agreement to materialize, “continued the Prime Minister.

“This is what we expect: the support of our friends and the pressure of those who are able to influence Hamas. »»

Netanyahu told her Cypriot counterpart that Israel will take “strong retaliation measures” against the Houthis and “their protector”, Iran.

According to the Prime Minister’s cabinet, Christdoulides said that he wanted to “clearly and publicly reaffirm our position: all hostages must be released”.

“This is a purely humanitarian question which, from a humanitarian point of view, has no political or geopolitical dimension. »»

Netanyahu replied that “Unfortunately, Hamas does not recognize it. This is why we must increase the pressure – both diplomatic and military – which we are about to do. ”

Israel continues its rhetorical offensive against Qatar, saying that the Gulf emirate “always seems to support Hamas”.

In response to the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, who qualified the recent declarations of the Cabinet of the Prime Minister “of incendiary”, the Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry wrote on its social media accounts that “the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs is confused or wants to sow confusion in the world”.

“Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East,” wrote the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“On the other hand, Hamas is a genocidal terrorist regime which murdered more than 1,200 innocent on October 7 and which still holds 59 innocent hostages. »»

“Unfortunately, Qatar still seems to support Hamas,” he added.