The Qatari regime published its first official comment on Thursday regarding the " Qatar-Gate" affair . The statement neither confirmed nor denied contact between Qatari agents and members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's staff. The statement did not mention Eli Feldstein, Yonatan Urich, or any other Israeli involved in the affair. Instead, the statement mostly focused on saving face against allegations that it worked to undermine Egypt. "The State of Qatar strongly condemns the statements published by some journalists and media outlets alleging that Qatar has made financial payments to undermine the efforts of Egypt or any of the mediators involved in the ongoing negotiations between Hamas and Israel," the statement issued by Qatar's International Media Office opened. "The State of Qatar affirms that these allegations are baseless and serve only the agendas of those who seek to sabotage the mediation efforts and undermine relations between nations. They also represent a new development in the ongoing misinformation campaign that is attempting to divert attention away from the humanitarian suffering and perpetuate the politicization of the war," it continued. The statement warned against "these individuals becoming embroiled in matters that serve no purpose other than to derail mediation efforts and exacerbate the suffering of the Palestinian people." Qatar asserted that it remains committed to its "humanitarian and diplomatic role as a mediator between the relevant parties to end this devastating war and is working closely with Egypt in our efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire and protect civilian lives." It also commended Egypt for its role in the negotiations.
