Netanyahu's statement came during a press conference held at his office in West Jerusalem, according to Yedioth Ahronoth and Maariv.
Netanyahu said he had sharply criticized Qatar during the war, claiming that Doha could have exerted "greater pressure" on Hamas to help secure the release of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza. He added that "Qatar is linked to Hamas, supports it, hosts it, and funds it," as he put it.
He also attacked Al Jazeera, considering it to represent what he described as "a hell of anti-Semitism, Zionism, and America," he said.
Netanyahu attempted to justify the Israeli bombing of Qatari territory by referring to UN Security Council Resolution 1373, issued following the September 11, 2001, attacks, which calls for the prosecution of "terrorists" and the states that provide them sanctuary or funding.
He explained that the United States relied on this decision in its bombing of Afghanistan and Pakistan, considering that targeting Doha sends "a strong message to Hamas leaders and Israel's enemies," as he put it.
In the same context, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said in his weekly press briefing that Netanyahu is trying to "justify his political and military failure" through this escalation. He added, "The message Netanyahu sent through this attack is nothing more than a desperate attempt to conceal his failures."
Al-Ansari stressed that "violations of international law without accountability will not continue," noting that the emergency Arab-Islamic summit and the statement issued by the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council sent a clear message that the attack on the State of Qatar is completely rejected by Arab and Islamic countries.
Al-Ansari explained that the Gulf statement included specific measures to address the aggression, including a call for an urgent meeting of the Joint Defense Council to assess the defense situation and take executive steps to activate deterrence and joint defense mechanisms.
Regarding defense relations between Qatar and the United States, Al Ansari noted ongoing consultations on a joint defense agreement currently under preparation, stressing that defense cooperation between the two countries is witnessing continuous growth.
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Regarding Qatar's mediation in Gaza, he noted that the chances of achieving a ceasefire are currently limited, given Israel's targeting of mediators. He emphasized that Doha's current priority is protecting its sovereignty, responding to Israeli aggression, and holding those responsible accountable.
Last Tuesday, the Israeli occupation army launched an airstrike on a site in Doha, which Israel said belonged to the Hamas leadership. The attack resulted in the death of a member of the Qatari internal security forces, while the movement announced the survival of its negotiating delegation, led by Khalil al-Hayya, and the martyrdom of its office director, Jihad Labad, his son, and three of his companions.
Qatar condemned the attack, considering it a violation of its sovereignty, and affirmed that it reserved the right to respond. The bombing sparked a wave of Arab and international condemnation, amid calls to hold Israel accountable for its violation of international law. Qatar is participating, along with Egypt and the United States, in indirect mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas to reach a prisoner exchange and ceasefire agreement.
For his part, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said during his speech at the emergency Arab-Islamic summit in Doha that Hamas leaders were studying a US proposal delivered to them via Qatar and Egypt when the Israeli attack occurred. He considered that "targeting a negotiating party is a deliberate attempt to derail the negotiations," asking, "If Israel wants to assassinate Hamas leaders, why is it negotiating with them?"
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also described Netanyahu as a "rogue" and accused him of practicing "state terrorism." He asserted that "the Israeli attack on Qatar can only be described as such," and that it is part of a systematic policy aimed at destabilizing the region.
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving 64,964 Palestinians dead and 165,312 injured, most of them children and women, and causing a famine that has killed 428 Palestinians, including 146 children.
By attacking Qatar, Israel expanded its aggression in the region. Last June, it launched an attack on Iran, and for nearly two years, it has been perpetrating an ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, while carrying out airstrikes on Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen.
