"Ironic Double Standards"
Al Thani tells Tucker Carlson: "Qatar will not pay to rebuild Gaza" | WATCH
At the 2025 Doha Forum, Qatar’s PM Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani told Tucker Carlson that Doha will not fund Gaza’s reconstruction, insisting Israel must rebuild what it destroyed, even as Qatar maintains humanitarian support and defends its mediation role and ties to Hamas.
In a candid interview at the 2025 Doha Forum, Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani declared that Doha will not finance the reconstruction of Gaza's infrastructure destroyed by Israel, emphasizing that such responsibility should fall on those who caused the damage.
Speaking with American commentator Tucker Carlson, Al Thani stated, "We will not rebuild in Gaza what Israel destroyed," highlighting what he described as ironic double standards compared to international responses to conflicts like Ukraine-Russia.
The Prime Minister clarified that Qatar remains committed to humanitarian aid for Palestinians, but only to supplement insufficient assistance from others.
"Our payments will go only to help the Palestinian people if we see that the help is coming to them is insufficient," he said, adding that Qatar will not simply "write a check" for rebuilding and insists that any funds must directly reach those in need.
He affirmed that Doha would not abandon Palestinians if no one else steps up.
The discussion delved deeply into the Israel-Hamas conflict, with Al Thani defending Qatar's hosting of a Hamas political office in Doha since 2012, established at the request of the United States and Israel to facilitate communication, ceasefires, and aid delivery.
"The starting of the relationship with Hamas and the communication was started back more than 10 years, 13 years ago at the request of United States," he explained, noting involvement from successive Israeli governments, including under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Al Thani rejected accusations of funding terrorism, insisting all financial support to Gaza is humanitarian and transparent, coordinated with the U.S. and Israel.
"All our aid and all our support in financing... went to the people and it was under a very transparent process that United States is fully aware about," he said.
Al Thani criticized an Israeli airstrike on Doha during ongoing peace talks, calling it "unprecedented and unethical," a violation of international law and sovereignty that targeted a mediator.
He revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump was "surprised" by the attack, expressed frustration, and supported Qatar, dismissing claims of U.S. approval as disinformation.
Carlson, known for his right-wing views, voiced frustration with U.S. regional involvement during the exchange.
This position echoes earlier sentiments from April 2024, when Al Thani informed Israeli officials of Qatar's reluctance to aid post-war reconstruction due to perceived mistreatment by Jerusalem.
Qatar has long played a pivotal mediation role, including in hostage negotiations, while maintaining it does not support Hamas but uses ties for diplomatic ends.
Al Thani stressed the need for a political solution, advocating for a two-state framework where Palestinians gain rights to an independent state, criticizing Israel's far-right policies as obstacles to peace.
He supported Trump's regional plan, emphasizing that unresolved Palestinian issues fuel escalation.
On Gaza's future, he affirmed Palestinians' right to remain and return, rejecting forced deportation.
The interview comes amid broader international pressure on Israel to advance Trump's Gaza plan, which could restore the Palestinian Authority and pave the way for a two-state solution, leaving Netanyahu increasingly isolated.
No immediate reactions from Israeli or U.S. officials have been reported, though the discussion has ignited online debates highlighting U.S.-Qatar dynamics and aid criticisms.