In a statement issued Wednesday evening, the Qatari Foreign Ministry responded to Netanyahu's threat to Qatar and countries hosting Hamas leaders, calling on them to expel them "or Israel will do the same." The statement said that it "will work with its partners to ensure that Netanyahu is held accountable and that his reckless and irresponsible actions are halted."
In response, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said that its country "strongly condemns Netanyahu's reckless statements regarding Qatar's hosting of the Hamas office, including the shameful attempt to justify the cowardly attack on Qatari territory, as well as the explicit threats of future violations of the country's sovereignty."
She stressed that "hosting the Hamas office was part of the mediation efforts requested from the State of Qatar by the United States and Israel."
The Qatari Foreign Ministry added, "Netanyahu is fully aware that this office has played a pivotal role in the success of numerous exchange and de-escalation operations that have been appreciated by the international community and have contributed to alleviating the suffering of Palestinian civilians and Israeli prisoners who have been facing tragic humanitarian conditions since October 7, 2023."
She stressed that "the negotiations were being held officially and publicly, with international support, and with the participation of American and Israeli delegations. Netanyahu's attempt to suggest that Qatar was secretly harboring the Hamas delegation can only be understood as a desperate attempt to justify a crime condemned by the entire world."
The ministry noted that "the false comparison to the pursuit of Al-Qaeda after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, is a new, pathetic attempt to justify its treacherous practices, as there was no international mediation involving a negotiating delegation from Al-Qaeda, with which the United States could engage with international support to bring peace to the region."
In his speech, Netanyahu attempted to justify the attack on the Hamas delegation in Doha, claiming that Israel was "no different from America, which pursued terrorists after 9/11." Netanyahu likened Israel's actions to US operations against al-Qaeda, claiming, "We did exactly what America did after 9/11, when it pursued terrorists in Afghanistan, and when it killed (former al-Qaeda leader) Osama bin Laden in Pakistan (in May 2011)."
The Qatari Foreign Ministry affirmed that such statements "are not surprising from someone who relies on extremist rhetoric to mobilize electoral votes, is wanted by international justice, and faces increasing sanctions daily, deepening his isolation on the global stage."
She continued: "On the other hand, the broad international solidarity with the State of Qatar reveals that reckless threats directed against the sovereignty of states are completely unacceptable."
The Foreign Ministry stressed that "the State of Qatar, despite Netanyahu's attempts to undermine its credibility and efforts, continues to play its role as a reliable and honest international partner in consolidating security and stability in the region and the world."
The ministry added that Qatar "will take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty and territory, and will spare no effort in confronting any attempts to undermine its status and role. It will also work with its partners to ensure that Netanyahu is held accountable and that his reckless and irresponsible practices are halted." The ministry reiterated the State of Qatar's "firm commitment to international law and the United Nations Charter."
She called on "the international community to shoulder its responsibilities by rejecting Netanyahu's inflammatory and Islamophobic rhetoric and putting an end to attempts at political deception that undermine mediation efforts and obstruct peace efforts."
Arab summit to discuss response
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For his part, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Wednesday that an Arab-Islamic summit will be held in the capital, Doha, in the coming days to approve a collective response plan to deter Israel.
In an exclusive interview with CNN, the Qatari Prime Minister described the Israeli attack on Doha as "state terrorism," saying, "I have no words to express how outraged we are by this act... It is state terrorism." He added, "We have been betrayed."
Bin Abdul Rahman believed that the Israeli raid on Doha "destroyed any hope" for Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip. He added that he "cannot predict Hamas' reaction" to US President Donald Trump's proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, but said he believed Israel and Hamas "will exhaust all their opportunities" to reach an agreement, according to the network.
Trump to Netanyahu: It wasn't a wise decision
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing senior US administration officials, that US President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his decision to target Hamas inside Qatar was unwise.
Trump made the comments during what the newspaper described as a tense phone call on Tuesday following the attack.
According to the newspaper, Netanyahu responded that the opportunity to launch attacks was brief and that he had taken advantage of it. The newspaper added that a second, friendly call took place between the two later Tuesday, during which Trump asked Netanyahu whether the attack had succeeded.
In a related development, Arab leaders and officials flocked to Qatar on Wednesday evening to express their solidarity with the Gulf country, which was subjected to the first-ever Israeli attack targeting Hamas leaders.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military announced that it had launched an airstrike on Hamas's leadership in Doha, without providing any further details on the outcome.
Qatar condemned the Israeli attack and affirmed its right to respond to the aggression, which killed a member of the internal security forces. Meanwhile, Hamas announced that its negotiating delegation, led by its head in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, survived the assassination attempt. The death toll included the director of his office, Jihad Labad, his son, Humam al-Hayya, and three bodyguards: Abdullah Abdul Wahid, Moamen Hassouna, and Ahmed al-Mamluk.
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, including killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.
This genocide left 64,656 Palestinians dead and 163,503 injured, most of them children and women. More than 9,000 people were missing, hundreds of thousands were displaced, and a famine claimed the lives of 404 Palestinians, including 141 children.
