An Israeli airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha has shocked emirate Qatar, which is mediating Israeli-Hamas negotiation to end the war in Gaza. Qatar has a history of helping to resolve global conflicts, its strategy of neutrality and influence has made it a key player.

Doha

Qatar, a small Gulf nation, has emerged as a prominent mediator in global conflicts, despite being overshadowed by larger neighbors like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Its approach involves maintaining relations with multiple sides, including hosting both US military personnel and representatives from groups such as Hamas and the Taliban, while emphasizing its neutrality.

This strategy has made Qatar indispensable in regional and international diplomacy, allowing it to mediate disputes as far away as Africa. The country's involvement has occasionally led to controversies, such as allegations of bribery with EU officials and intelligence scandals, but its high-profile diplomacy is seen as a means of ensuring its survival and influence in a volatile region.

Why Qatar became the go-to mediator in global conflicts

Qatar under attack, an Israeli airstrike targeting Hamas operatives in the capital Doha. A shock for a country that presents itself as the ultimate peacemaker. Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America's goals. Qatar is a small country with just 300,000 citizens, often overshadowed by its much bigger neighbor Saudi Arabia and its rival the United Arab Emirates, and with better relations with their rival Iran. Peacemaking has been a way to make itself indispensable. Qatar is not even particularly close to Israel, but great oil wealth and stable politics mean it can concentrate on mediating conflicts as far away as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Qatar's strategy is to get on board with multiple sides. It has historically funded insurgent groups like the Taliban, always stressing its neutrality. While it has hosted Hamas representatives in Doha, Qatar is also home to a large US airbase with 10,000 personnel, making it even more central to regional politics and tactics. This getting-on-all-sides strategy extends to allegations of bribery with EU officials and an intelligence scandal in Israel known as Qatargate, and even to the gift of a luxury Boeing jet to the US, which is set to be transferred to President Donald Trump's library when he leaves office. A high profile for a tiny nation, but one that helps it survive in a volatile part of the world.

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