The al-Jazeera television network has named a member of the Qatari royal family to be its new director, after its chief of eight years resigned.

Wadah Khanfar stepped down Tuesday, and said in a statement the move was one he had discussed with the network “for some time.”

His resignation follows the release of leaked diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks that suggest Khanfar altered al-Jazeera coverage in response to pressure by the United States.

One cable from the U.S. embassy in Doha last year says Khanfar agreed to tone down content on al-Jazeera's website, and had two images of wounded children in a hospital and a woman with a wounded face removed.

Khanfar did not comment on the cables Tuesday, but in messages posted on his Twitter account said he was “entertained” by rumors of why he had resigned.