Netanyahu's office under fire over leaked tape on criticism of Qatar
Israel's prime minister terms Qatar as "problematic" during his meeting with hostages' families.
Israeli cabinet minister and former military chief Gadi Eizenkot is consoled by a mourner, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacts, during the funeral of Gal Meir Eisenkot, 25, an Israeli solider, who was killed in northern Gaza last month. / Photo: Reuters
Families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of leaking a tape in which he criticised Doha's role in the swap negotiations with the Palestinian group.
"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 hostages’ families, said in a statement on Thursday.
"The families participating in the meeting had their phones taken at the entrance," Rubinstein said.
The spokesperson termed the leaking of Netanyahu’s comments as a "grave issue that indicates a loss of control."
Leaked comments from Netanyahu’s meeting with relatives of the hostages showed the premier criticising the Gulf country’s role in the prisoner swap talks with Hamas.
Sabotaging the talks
"Qatar, from my point of view, is no different in essence than the United Nations… and the Red Cross, [Qatar] is even more problematic," Netanyahu said in a recording aired by Israeli Channel 12.
"I have no illusions about them. They have leverage [over Hamas]… Because [Qatar] funds them."
Netanyahu said he got "very angry recently with the Americans" for renewing a deal to extend US military presence at a base in Qatar for another 10 years.
The leaked comments drew fire from Qatar, which accused Netanyahu of sabotaging the talks for hostage release with Hamas for political interests.
There was no comment from Netanyahu’s office on the families’ statement.
Hamas is believed to be holding nearly 136 Israelis following its cross-border attack on October 7.
The Palestinian resistance group demands an end to Israel’s deadly offensive on Gaza for any deal on a prisoner swap with Israel.
The Israeli government has rejected calls for halting its brutal war on Gaza until destroying Hamas and releasing hostages.
Israel has launched a deadly offensive on Gaza since October 7, killing at least 25,700 Palestinians and injuring 63,740 others, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.
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