DOHA, (PIC)
The announcement of the death of the Father Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, posed as a stage that brought back to the forefront one of the most prominent phases of the Qatari presence in the Palestinian cause.
This is the phase that witnessed Doha’s transition to a more active role in regional files, with a special focus on the Gaza Strip, which received unprecedented political and humanitarian attention during his rule between the years 1995 and 2013. During those years, the name of Sheikh Hamad was linked to initiatives that supported the Palestinians on more than one level, starting from political positions in international forums, passing through mediation efforts between Palestinian factions, and reaching the financing of reconstruction and development projects that aimed to alleviate the effects of the blockade and repeated wars on the Gaza Strip.
A visit that broke the isolation
The visit of Sheikh Hamad to the Gaza Strip on October 23, 2012, is considered one of the most prominent stations in Qatari-Palestinian relations, as he became the first Arab leader to visit the Strip since the imposition of the Israeli blockade in 2007.
The visit came at a time when the Strip was facing difficult humanitarian and economic conditions, and it carried political and humanitarian messages that confirmed Qatar’s support for the Palestinians, as it also represented a remarkable step that broke the state of political isolation that the Strip was living at that time.
During the visit, Sheikh Hamad announced the allocation of 400 million dollars to implement reconstruction and development projects, which included the construction of housing units, the development of road networks, and the implementation of infrastructure projects, alongside supporting basic services sectors.
Projects that remained a witness
Among the projects that were linked to Qatari support, Hamad Residential City stood out in Khan Yunis governorate, which provided thousands of housing units for Palestinian families, and became one of the largest housing projects implemented in the Gaza Strip. The Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza also supervised the implementation of dozens of projects in the fields of housing, health, education, roads, electricity, and water, and contributed to the rehabilitation of facilities damaged during Israeli attacks, which enhanced Qatar’s presence as one of the most prominent Arab funders of reconstruction efforts in the Strip.
A political role and Palestinian reconciliation
The Qatari presence during the era of Sheikh Hamad was not limited to the humanitarian side, but extended to the political path, where Doha hosted meetings between Palestinian factions, most prominent of which was the Doha Agreement in 2012, in an attempt to push forward efforts to end the Palestinian division and enhance reconciliation. Qatar also continued during that stage to emphasize in international forums its support for the rights of the Palestinian people, its rejection of settlement, and its adherence to a solution based on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Continuation of the approach Following the transition of government to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in 2013, Doha continued to follow the same approach toward the Palestinian cause, through continuing to fund reconstruction projects, providing humanitarian aid, alongside playing a pivotal role in mediation efforts related to ceasefires and prisoner exchange deals during rounds of escalation and war on the Gaza Strip.
With the passing of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, his presence remains in the Palestinian memory linked to a stage that witnessed an expansion in political and humanitarian Qatari support, and projects whose impacts are still standing in the Gaza Strip, alongside a diplomatic role that contributed to consolidating Qatar’s position as one of the most prominent actors in the Palestinian file.