In leaked audio, Israeli PM is heard criticising Doha in its position in negotiating the discharge of captives held by Hamas.
Households of Israelis held captive in Gaza have mentioned denied they had been behind the leak of audio by which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised Qatar’s position in talks with Hamas over the discharge of the captives.
“All conversations that take place in meetings with the Prime Minister are recorded by his office and his associates present at the meeting,” Haim Rubinstein, a spokesperson for the households, mentioned on Thursday in a press release cited on Israeli media.
“The families participating in the meeting had their phones taken at the entrance,” he mentioned, including that the leak was a “grave issue that indicates a loss of control”.
His remark got here a day after the prime minister’s workplace blamed one of many relations for the leak.
Israeli media outlet Walla on Thurdsay reported that the prime minister’s workplace doubled down on blaming the households, saying that it has proof within the type of a textual content message from considered one of their members current on the assembly.
“The girl next to me had a phone, it’s a shame I didn’t tip her off,” the message reads, based on Walla.
Within the audio that triggered the controversy, which was aired on Tuesday by Israeli Channel 12, Netanyahu is heard saying that Qatar’s involvement within the launch of captives was “problematic”.
He additionally blamed Qatar for financing Hamas and mentioned he was upset at a choice by america to increase the presence of a army base within the Gulf state.
Majed Al-Ansari, the spokesperson for Qatar’s international ministry, responded to the remarks saying he was “appalled”.
About 240 individuals had been taken captive by Hamas fighters as they launched an unprecedented assault into southern Israel on October 7, killing no less than 1,139 individuals, based on an Al Jazeera tally based mostly on Israeli statistics.
Israel responded with a devastating bombardment and floor invasion of Gaza, which has displaced greater than 80 p.c of the inhabitants and diminished a lot of the territory to rubble. Palestinian officers say no less than 25,700 individuals have been killed and greater than 63,000 wounded within the Israeli assault.
Following prolonged negotiations led by Qatar and the US, greater than 100 of these captured had been freed in late November in alternate for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails as Israel and Hamas noticed a weeklong truce.
The Gulf state stays concerned in talks geared toward securing a brand new deal for the discharge of roughly 130 captives nonetheless being held by Hamas and different Palestinian armed teams.
Al-Ansari mentioned Netanyahu’s leaked feedback had been detrimental to these efforts.
“If the reported remarks are found to be true, the Israeli prime minister would only be obstructing and undermining the mediation process, for reasons that appear to serve his political career instead of prioritising saving innocent lives, including Israeli hostages,” he mentioned.
