In leaked audio, the Israeli prime minister is heard criticizing Doha for its role in negotiations over the release of captives held by Hamas.
Families of Israelis detained in Gaza have denied being behind the leaked audio in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Qatar’s role in negotiations with Hamas over the captives’ release.
“All conversations that take place during meetings with the prime minister are recorded by his office and his associates present at the meeting,” Haim Rubinstein, a spokesperson for the families, said in a statement cited by Israeli media on Thursday.
“Families attending the meeting had their phones confiscated upon entry,” he said, adding that the leak was a “serious issue that indicates a loss of control.”
His comments come a day after the Prime Minister’s Office blamed one of the family members for the leak.
Israeli media outlet Walla reported Thursday that the prime minister’s office had doubled down on accusations against the families, saying it had evidence in the form of a text message sent by one of their members present at the meeting.
“The girl next to me had a phone, it’s a shame I didn’t warn her,” the message read, according to Walla.
In the audio that sparked the controversy, broadcast Tuesday on Israeli Channel 12, Netanyahu is heard saying that Qatar’s involvement in the release of the captives was “problematic.”
He also accused Qatar of financing Hamas and expressed dissatisfaction with the United States’ decision to expand the presence of a military base in the Gulf state.
Majed Al-Ansari, the spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, responded to the remarks by saying he was “dismayed”.
About 240 people were captured by Hamas fighters as they launched an unprecedented attack in southern Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,139 people, according to an Tel Aviv Tribune tally based on Israeli statistics.
Israel responded with a devastating bombing and ground invasion of Gaza, which displaced more than 80 percent of the population and reduced much of the territory to rubble. Palestinian officials say at least 25,700 people were killed and more than 63,000 injured in the Israeli assault.
Following lengthy negotiations by Qatar and the United States, more than 100 of those captured were released in late November in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails while Israel and Hamas observed a one-day truce. week.
The Gulf state remains involved in negotiations aimed at reaching a new deal for the release of around 130 prisoners still held by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.
Al-Ansari said Netanyahu’s leaked comments were detrimental to those efforts.
“If the reported remarks prove true, the Israeli Prime Minister would only obstruct and undermine the mediation process, for reasons that appear to serve his political career instead of prioritizing saving innocent lives, including Israeli hostages,” he said.
