Doha: Qatar on Friday denied allegations of discrediting a woman accusing International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan of abuse, saying the claims aim to undermine its mediation efforts in the Gaza Strip. In a statement, Qatar's International Media Office said it "strongly condemns the unfounded allegations concerning a case involving the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court."

According to Anadolu Agency, the Qatari media office claimed the allegations are part of a coordinated campaign by certain bad actors to spread disinformation and evade the consequences of their own actions by diverting attention onto others. The statement did not specify who these actors might be.

The media office emphasized that the allegations are part of a broader influence campaign against Qatar, aimed at undermining its role in saving lives and securing the release of hostages through its mediation efforts. It noted that falsified information was circulated among several media outlets, most of which declined to publish it after determining it lacked a factual basis.

Recently, several unfounded lawsuits filed in the United States against Qatar Charity were dismissed. The courts ruled that the evidence presented in these cases was fabricated, reinforcing Qatar's stance on the current allegations.

Earlier on Friday, The Guardian published claims that an ICC staff member who accused Khan of sexual assault was targeted in a "covert operation" allegedly conducted by private intelligence firms on behalf of Qatar. Khan has denied these sexual assault allegations, stating that they are part of pressure campaigns against him following his issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli officials for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Qatar, alongside Egypt, Trkiye, and the US, has played a key role in mediation efforts that led to a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect on October 10.