New audio that was surreptitiously recorded between Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and the family members of the hostages reveal that Netanyahu was very angry that Biden didn’t use his leverage to free some of the hostages recently.
It was reported earlier this month that the Biden administration quietly reached an agreement with Qatar to keep the largest military base in the Middle East open.
This is the source of Netanyahu’s anger. He says below (in Hebrew), “I was very angry recently and didn’t hide it from the Americans that they renewed their contract for a military base in Qatar. Why didn’t you say ‘I ask you to bring back our hostages.’ That’s pressure!…Qatar has leverage on Hamas. First of all, pressure Qatar.”
Here’s the reporting from Lahav Harkov, a senior political correspondent with Jewish Insider:
In leaked audio from a meeting with hostages’ families this week, played on Channel 12, Netanyahu called for more international pressure on Qatar and said he’s “very angry” at the Biden administration for not using its leverage to get Qatar to pressure Hamas to release the hostages.
In the recording, Netanyahu says:
“I think you need to speak to the hearts of the international community to pressure anyone who can pressure [Hamas]. First of all is Qatar. Now, when I talk about Qatar, you don’t hear me thank Qatar…Why? Because Qatar, as far as I’m concerned, is not significantly different from the UN, is not significantly different from the Red Cross, and to some extent it’s even more problematic. But I can use any factor for now that will help me bring them home. I have no illusions about them.
I was very angry recently and didn’t hide it from the Americans that they renewed their contract for a military base in Qatar. Why didn’t you say ‘I ask you to bring back our hostages.’ That’s pressure!…Qatar has leverage on Hamas. First of all, pressure Qatar.”
Re: the deal for Qatar to bring medicine to the hostages in Gaza: “I hope that the commitment that [the medicines] will arrive will happen. We will know in a few days, maybe less.”
Military Secretary Avi Gil: “We are supposed to get some kind of [proof] from the Qataris that they [hostages] received the medicines. I say that cautiously – it’s what they say.”