Qatari official on role in mediating Israeli hostage release and temporary cease-fire

Nick Schifrin:

Today's deal between Israel and Hamas was mediated by Qatar.

And I'm now joined by Dr. Majed Bin Mohammed Al Ansari, adviser to the prime minister of Qatar and official spokesperson for the Qatari foreign minister.

Sir, thank you very much. Welcome to the "NewsHour."

Has this day, bottom line, gone as smoothly as you hoped it would?

Majed Bin Mohammed Al Ansari, Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesman:

Thank you for having me.

Of course, it's always a difficult and very frustrating operation when you're working on such difficult campaigns. But I can gladly say that all that we wanted to accomplish today was done. The people who were supposed to be reunited with their families are now home and in a safe place and with their families from both sides.

And that's what makes it all worth it.

Nick Schifrin:

The steps that we saw today, the Israelis who were released by Hamas into the ICRC and brought into Israel, the prisoners that Israel has released and sent back to their families on the West Bank, are those steps that you have confirmed that can happen again tomorrow?

And have the list been confirmed already?

Majed Bin Mohammed Al Ansari:

We are working on that right now.

Obviously, as I said, it's a very difficult process, very delicate process. It includes a lot of moving parts on the ground. I can confirm at this moment that we have shared this on both sides. But we believe that both sides are committed to the humanitarian pause and to the process which we agreed upon.

So we are hopeful that we will see the same releases that we say — saw today tomorrow.

Nick Schifrin:

Can you give us any insight into the Americans who might be released?

Majed Bin Mohammed Al Ansari:

I can't share, of course, any details on that right now. We are working day to day, so we get the lists for each day. And we distribute them to both sides, and we get the OK from both sides. And that's how it works.

And we don't have the lists for tomorrow. But what I can tell you is that there is a commitment on both sides.

Nick Schifrin:

As you mentioned, Hamas was not able to deliver even a list of the 90 to 100 or so women and children that we believe to be hostage inside Gaza.

American officials have said there are other groups, including criminal groups, who might have some of these hostages. What does that mean? Is it possible to even get these 90 to 100 women and children out?

Majed Bin Mohammed Al Ansari:

Of course, it's a war zone.

And, as you know, Nick, when there is a conflict of such magnitude, moving on the ground, getting information the ground is always very difficult in all respects. So we are hoping that through the period of time we have established right here for four days, that would allow people on the ground in Gaza to collect information and to provide that information.

Nick Schifrin:

And finally, sir, some of your Israeli and American critics call you both the firefighter and the arsonist. They thank you for your help this week.

But they say your hosting Hamas' leadership in Doha and delivering money to Gaza in cash helps give Hamas political stature and, frankly, the money that Hamas used to build a terrorist infrastructure. What do you say to those critics?

Majed Bin Mohammed Al Ansari:

We have taken a lot of heat, Nick, I can tell you. And there is a lot of disinformation about this information that is knowingly misleading by people who want to sabotage the mediation effort.

We have been working on mediation between Hamas and Israel since 2006. This is not a new occurrence. I can tell you very clearly — and this is known by both parties — that all the aid that was going into Gaza was going through Israel, through Israeli banks, through Israeli companies, and through the Israeli crossing.

So, any accusation against my country that we were aiding Hamas, the same accusation should be held to the Israelis, who were part of this aid process. And, obviously, that doesn't make any sense. We were doing this as part of an agreement between Israel, us and the Palestinian Authority to make sure that life is sustainable in Gaza, that there is hope for the people in Gaza, and that we could de-escalate and we could be an active mediator.

There is a lot of propaganda used to demonize my country, but this will not deter us from playing our role as a peace facilitator and mediator on this. Regardless of how much we will take as heat on this, we can tell you that, for us, this is something that we believe in, that we think it's part of our raison d'etre for our country and our mandate as a country.

And no matter how difficult the discussions are, we will keep having them.

Nick Schifrin:

Dr. Majed Bin Mohammed Al Ansari, thank you very much, sir.

Majed Bin Mohammed Al Ansari:

Thank you.