If I could make one single proposal to those at the head of the campaign, I would suggest designing a new negotiating strategy for the release of the hostages of which Qatar is not a part.
Qatar is playing a dirty game of an apparent middleman. In order to return the abductees as quickly as possible, Israel must look for another Islamic country that will serve as a real mediator: Egypt or Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia or Kazakhstan. Qatar relishes the role of an alleged mediator, and will try to extend its status as much as it can in order to maximize the political payment it collects for it from the Arab League and Western countries.
It poses as a mediator over the differences of opinion in the abductee deals, but needs Hamas no less than it needs it. It needs Hamas just as Iran needs Hezbollah. Both countries use proxies as a means of pressure on the West. Qatar houses Hamas leaders in its territory with the dignity of kings, and has been funding the organization alone for years. She clearly knew that most of the money was for armaments. It is reasonable to assume that she also knew about the planning of the massacre on October 7, perhaps thinking that it would be milder and less brutal than it was, but an operation of this magnitude and planning of many months cannot be carried out without the knowledge of the financier.
Qatar could have prevented the massacre by threatening Hamas to stop funding the organization and expel its leaders, but refrained from doing so, and as if that were not enough, it also recently announced that it intends to continue funding Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Qatar is also Iran's only ally in the Gulf, and there is no doubt that part of its mediation strategy is coordinated with Iran.
Hamas and Qatar have a common goal: ending the war if Hamas continues to dominate the Gaza Strip. To achieve this goal, they will jointly try to bring about a ceasefire through international pressure on Israel while the abductees are still in Hamas hands, and only then will they conduct slow and creeping negotiations for their release in exchange for long-term concessions that will enable Hamas to survive and its military power.
The State of Israel projects its hopes on Qatar regarding the release of the hostages not out of deep intelligence considerations, but out of inertia and because this is what the United States expects it to do. Instead of negotiations mediated by Qatar through Hamas leaders in its territory, the State of Israel should negotiate directly with Hamas members sitting in the tunnels in Gaza mediated by another Islamic state, cutting off as much as possible the ability of these people to communicate with their friends in Qatar. Such negotiations could take place with anyone with influence and information about the fate of the abductees.
Such a strategy would separate the various factions holding the abductees and create competition between them, and would not jeopardize the goal of eliminating Hamas. The Shin Bet and the IDF cannot conduct such negotiations without the assistance of a third party perceived as legitimate by those holding abductees.
Instead of negotiations mediated by Qatar through Hamas leaders on its territory, the State of Israel should negotiate directly with Hamas members sitting in the tunnels in Gaza mediated by another Islamic state
Qatar recently received flattery from National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi, who said: "I am happy to say that Qatar is becoming a vital actor and a stakeholder in providing humanitarian solutions." President Herzog also delighted in front of dozens of photographers at the climate summit a few days ago over what he called the "historic meeting" with the Emir of Qatar. But it is important to remember that this is not a time for diplomatic efforts to expand the Abraham Accords. This is a time for supreme efforts to free the hostages and end the fighting under the best conditions for Israel.
The way to achieve this goal is not to continue the mistaken strategy of cooperation between Qatar and Israel on Hamas, a strategy that has lasted for years and led to the greatest disaster in the country's history. Instead, a new, completely different strategy should be adopted.
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