Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani
Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani sharply to Israel’s airstrike on its soil by asserting that Benjamin Netanyahu had killed the hope of securing the release of remaining hostages in Gaza through negotiations, as five Hamas negotiators engaged in ceasefire talks brokered by the United States and Gulf countries were killed in the attack, while the Israeli prime minister threatened further strikes against Qatar and other nations accommodating Hamas leaders.
The strike in Doha on Tuesday marked an extraordinary escalation as Israeli jets targeted Hamas officials who had been meeting to consider a US-backed proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, and Qatar confirmed that one of its own security officers was also killed in the strike, which it denounced as an act of state terrorism.
The attack drew strong condemnation from Qatar, Britain, Russia, China, and regional leaders who travelled to Doha in solidarity, while Washington expressed its disapproval in a White House statement that described the bombing as unilateral and unhelpful to shared strategic objectives.
Benjamin Netanyahu responded defiantly to mounting international criticism by accusing Qatar of harbouring terrorists and warning that Israel reserved the right to act against Hamas leaders wherever they were sheltered, while Defence Minister Israel Katz reinforced the message by declaring that Israel’s long arm would reach its enemies anywhere. Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter went further in remarks to American media by insisting that if Tuesday’s strike had not eliminated Hamas leaders, Israel would succeed in future operations.
The airstrike jeopardised delicate mediation efforts that Qatar has hosted for months, as Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani warned that his country would reassess its role as intermediary, describing the Israeli move as a waste of Qatar’s efforts and a devastating blow to families of hostages who had pinned their hopes on a negotiated deal, The Guardian reported, referring to CNN.
In Gaza, Hamas insisted that its senior leadership remained unharmed, although it admitted that several lower-ranked members were killed, and a senior Israeli official privately conceded that optimism about the strike’s success was fading.
Former US president Donald Trump, whose administration had pushed the latest proposal for a ceasefire, denied involvement in the decision to attack and insisted through social media that Netanyahu acted independently, although he claimed Washington had attempted unsuccessfully to warn Qatar of the incoming strike.
Analysts, including Andreas Krieg of King’s College London, described the assault as a direct blow to regional mediation efforts, underscoring Washington’s failure to enforce its own stated policy of fostering negotiations.
While celebrations broke out in parts of Israel after the strike, anxiety deepened among the families of the 48 remaining hostages still believed to be in Gaza, as fears grew that Netanyahu’s arrogant obduracy was eliminating the few chances left for a negotiated release. The war, triggered by the Hamas assault of October 2023, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in 250 abductions, has since devastated Gaza, leaving more than 64,000 Palestinians dead, over 150,000 injured, and vast areas reduced to rubble.
Israel extended its military reach further on Wednesday with airstrikes in Yemen targeting Houthi facilities, with reports from Almasirah TV indicating that the defence ministry in Sana’a had been struck, while Israeli military radio claimed the raids had hit headquarters and camps of the militia, which has been launching missiles and drone attacks in solidarity with Gaza.
The Houthis, supported by Iran, have previously targeted shipping in the Red Sea and fired projectiles towards Israel, most of which have been intercepted, and Israeli officials presented the fresh raids as part of their broader campaign against regional threats.
Political analysts in Israel suggested that Netanyahu might be attempting to emulate last year’s killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, which was followed by a ceasefire with Lebanon, yet they noted that Israeli public opinion now strongly favours ending the war and securing the hostages, fuelling criticism that the prime minister is prolonging the conflict for political survival.