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Qatar Denounces Netanyahu’s ‘Reckless’ Remarks on Israeli Strike in Doha

By The South Asia Times

DOHA — Qatar on Wednesday strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks seeking to justify a deadly Israeli airstrike on Hamas officials in Doha, branding his comments a “shameful attempt” to cover up a blatant violation of Qatari sovereignty, according to Anadolu Agency.

Netanyahu, under growing international criticism for Tuesday’s strike that killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer, directly addressed Doha, saying: “You either expel them (Hamas) or you bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will.”

The Qatari Foreign Ministry rejected the remarks, stressing that Netanyahu was “fully aware” that Hamas’ political office in Doha was established within the framework of internationally recognized mediation efforts — at the request of both the US and Israel.

The ministry underlined that the office had facilitated numerous prisoner exchanges and ceasefires that brought humanitarian relief to Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages, adding that Netanyahu’s comparison of Israel’s strike to the US pursuit of al-Qaeda after 9/11 was a “reckless and false analogy.”

“There was no international mediation involving an al-Qaeda negotiating delegation,” the statement read, calling the justification a “new, miserable excuse for treacherous practices.”

Qatar further accused Netanyahu of using “extremist rhetoric to win elections,” noting that he is “facing mounting international sanctions and growing isolation.”

The ministry emphasized that global solidarity with Qatar showed that “reckless threats against sovereign states are categorically rejected,” while reaffirming Doha’s commitment to the UN Charter and international law. It vowed to defend its sovereignty and continue its role as a “trusted and impartial international partner” in regional peace efforts.

Qatar has been a key mediator — alongside the US and Egypt — in efforts to end Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 64,600 Palestinians since October 2023. Doha condemned the strike on its capital as a “cowardly act” and warned that Israel’s behavior would not be tolerated.