Israel has put aside its differences with conflict mediator Qatar for the time being but will “settle accounts” after Israel’s bombardment of Gaza ends, an Israeli Foreign Ministry official has said.

According to Al Jazeera, Joshua Zarka, deputy director general for strategic affairs at Israel’s foreign ministry, questioned Qatar’s “role in everything related to hosting and legitimising Hamas’ activities”.

“Right now we need them. But when this thing passes from the world, we will settle accounts with them,” he said in an interview on Israeli army radio,