The deal seemed about to fall apart. Hamas accused Israel of not fulfilling its end of the bargain and Israel threatened to resume its deadly attacks on the Gaza Strip.
That was the moment a Qatari plane landed at Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport on Saturday. Negotiators on board got to work, trying to salvage the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza before the deal fell apart and scuttled weeks of diplomatic negotiations.
The first public visit by Qatari officials to Israel marked an extraordinary moment for the two countries, which have no official diplomatic relations. He also underlined the important role of the small emirate in bridging differences between enemies.
"This is something we've never seen before," Yoel Guzansky, a senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, said of the Qatari presence in Israel. "It is the only external actor in the world that has so much influence over Hamas, thanks to its many years of support."
The weekend mission was a success. Several Qatari mediators stayed behind to work with Israeli intelligence officials to extend the four-day truce, which was due to end Tuesday morning.
Those efforts appeared to bear fruit, as Qatar's Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that Israel and Hamas agreed to extend their ceasefire for two more days, raising prospects for a longer cessation of the war.
Ties
With its close ties to the United States — it hosts the largest U.S. military base between Europe and Japan — its communication with Israel since 1995 and its support for blockaded Gaza estimated at more than $1 billion since 000, Qatar is in a unique position in the ceasefire talks, which also involve the United States and Egypt.
"Qatar is seen as the only actor in the Arab world that is loyal to the Palestinian cause," Guzansky said.
An aerial view of Doha, Qatar.
The emirate has hosted a Hamas political office since 2012, allowing Qatar to exert some influence over the armed group's decision-makers. Senior Hamas officials, including the head of the group's political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, live in Qatar.
Qatari officials say they are guided by a desire to de-escalate the conflict, though their ties to a variety of Islamist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the Taliban, have drawn criticism from Israel, some U.S. lawmakers and neighboring Arab governments.
"This is soft power on steroids, mobilized by U.S. interest," said Patrick Theros, a former U.S. ambassador to Qatar. "Housing organizations that the U.S. can't be seen talking to is part of this policy."
The wealthy Arab Gulf state, with a native population of just 300,000, has leveraged its strategic location and vast natural gas wealth to wield political influence and project soft power around the world, including as host of the 2022 World Cup.
AP Agency
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