Qatar slams Israeli Prime Minister for obstructing mediation efforts to release captives

Qatar on Wednesday said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was obstructing mediation efforts in the Gaza war, after a leaked recording allegedly captured him calling the Gulf state "problematic".

"We are appalled by the alleged remarks attributed to the Israeli Prime Minister in various media reports about Qatar's mediation role," Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari, said on social media platform X.

"If the reported remarks are found to be true, the Israeli PM would only be obstructing and undermining the mediation process, for reasons that appear to serve his political career, instead of prioritizing saving innocent lives, including Israeli hostages," he wrote.

Netanyahu called Qatar "problematic" in a leaked recording from a meeting with hostage families that aired on Israel's Channel 12 news on Tuesday.

"You haven't seen me thank Qatar, have you noticed? I haven't thanked Qatar. Why? Because Qatar, to me, is no different in essence from the UN, from the Red Cross, and in a way it's even more problematic. However, I'm willing to use any mediator now who can help me bring them [the hostages] home."

Asked to comment on Qatar's statement and whether the leaked recording was authentic, an Israeli government spokesperson said Israel "cannot go into details regarding the efforts and steps taken to release the hostages".