Turkey, Qatar seek foothold in Gaza talks
Turkey and Qatar, having alienated regional powers with their support of Hamas, are finding it hard to gain influence in Gaza cease-fire negotiations.
Having been largely isolated so far, Turkey and Qatar are trying to gain a foothold in the talks over Gaza. Working closely, the two countries and aiming for a cease-fire that includes Hamas in the negotiations and also eases the Israeli siege of Gaza.
The United States has shown some readiness to support the Turkish-Qatari endeavor, reportedly because of the influence it believes the two countries have over Hamas. But Washington’s involving Ankara and Doha in the talks has not been welcomed by everyone.
Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA), and Egypt are angry with US Secretary of State John Kerry for pushing a cease-fire plan they believe was influenced by Turkey and Qatar. This reaction shows again Ankara and Doha’s unwelcome position in the region because of their unqualified support for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Arguing that Kerry’s cease-fire attempt ended in a “fiasco,” The Wall Street Journal in a July 28 commentary underlined that Jordan and Saudi Arabia were also among regional countries that do not want a Palestinian state run by Hamas.
