Former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh along with Qatari leader Al Thani as they walk through the streets of Qatar in celebration in 2021 (Source: video snippet - @GazaNow - Telegram)
Slain Hamas leader Haniyeh being paraded in Qatar by Emir Al Thani in 2021 (video snippet)

Hamas Official Slams Israel For Outing Qatar As Agent of Terror

Details
The Judean Staff
News

In a fiery interview on Qatari owned Al Jazeera, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of threatening Qatar in a desperate attempt to extract concessions from the terror group. As hostage negotiations falter and Israel prepares to escalate its military campaign in Gaza, Mardawi reiterated Hamas’s refusal to accept any partial or short-term agreements. He defiantly vowed that Hamas would continue its “resistance” across all fronts, rejecting any resolution that falls short of ending the conflict on Hamas’s terms. The statements are a clear signal that the terror group has no intention of ceasing its hostilities against Israel, even under the guise of ceasefire talks.

Hamas Defiant

In a blistering interview aired on Al Jazeera overnight, Mahmoud Mardawi, a senior Hamas official operating from outside Gaza, launched a verbal assault on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of resorting to coercive diplomacy by threatening Qatar— an Islamist nation under the rule of a family that aligns themselves with the Muslim Brotherhood. Qatar has tried to portray themselves as a neutral mediator in the ongoing hostage negotiations, but on several occasions have been proven to have been acting in the interest of their ideological brethren, Hamas.

A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

Qatar has been a financial supporter of Hamas for over a decade, and they give refuge to Hamas leadership. Many of those leaders live lives of wealth within the tiny, oil rich nation while their people are subjugated by their own militant group. Qatari ministers have recently been in the news for comments in support of the terror group that were recorded.

Many in the West have accused Qatar of working to undermine democracy in Europe and the United States in an effort to support the expansionism of Islam across the world. Independent studies have brought into question the billions of dollars in funding that Qatar has given to American and European educational institutions as well as the many protest groups that have sprouted up during the Israel-Gaza war. Several controversial organizations such as Students for Justice in Palestine as well as the oddly named Jewish Voice for Peace, which has been accused of appropriating the name Jewish in an effort to bring legitimacy to their anti-Israel platform, have been linked to funding by Qatar-based sources.

“Netanyahu is directly threatening Qatar to force it to pressure Hamas because he has failed in his siege [on Gaza],” Mardawi claimed, presenting the Israeli leader as flailing in the face of diplomatic and military setbacks.

Hostage Talks Stalled

Mardawi’s remarks come at a critical juncture, as negotiations for a hostage deal remain deadlocked and Israel signals an imminent expansion of its military operations in the Gaza Strip. Despite international efforts to broker a temporary ceasefire, Hamas is doubling down on its maximalist demands and refusal to compromise.

“We reject all evasions and partial agreements that do not bring this campaign to an end,” said Mardawi. “We want a solution that will stop the killing. The partial paths and fragmented deals, which only lead back to war and dishonest pressure tactics, are paths we will not return to.”

In an unyielding tone, Mardawi accused Netanyahu of using manipulative tactics to avoid accountability, insisting that Hamas has already outlined a comprehensive proposal to international mediators.

Feigning Outrage & Making Excuses

“This behavior distances us from reaching a deal rather than bringing us closer,” Mardawi argued. “We will not give Netanyahu an opportunity to evade responsibility and lie. He is trying to apply pressure through many channels to force us to concede. We will not back down from our position.”

Turning his attention to recent developments in Lebanon, Mardawi commented on the handover of a Hamas operative involved in rocket attacks on Israel, brushing off the incident as part of the broader confrontation with the Jewish state.

“We are in a confrontation with the Zionist enemy,” he declared. “This confrontation will not end as long as Palestine is under occupation and the holy sites remain under threat of Judaization. We will not stop. We will not stop. We will continue our confrontation with this occupation. The resistance will persist in every location.”

Analysis

Mardawi’s statements serve as yet another unequivocal admission that Hamas intends to maintain its campaign of violence and terror, regardless of any ceasefire arrangement. The insistence on “resistance in every location” reflects a broader strategy of regional destabilization, leveraging not only Gaza, but also Lebanon, the West Bank, and potentially other fronts to continue its assault on Israeli sovereignty and Jewish historical rights.

Despite repeated international calls for a diplomatic resolution, Hamas’s own rhetoric underscores its endgame isn’t peace, but the prolongation of armed conflict until its radical objectives are fulfilled. Mardawi’s open rejection of partial agreements and his endorsement of armed confrontation reveal the group’s true intent: to stall diplomacy while fortifying terror infrastructure for the next round of violence

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