Israeli air strikes ‘killed any hope’ of hostages in Gaza, says Prime Minister of Qatar

Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin jassim al-thani asks Benjamin Netanyahu to be “brought to justice”

Qatar’s Prime Minister said Benjamin Netanyahu “killed any hope” for the remaining hostages in Gaza after Israel’s extraordinary attack on Hamas negotiators in Doha on Tuesday.

In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Jassim Al-Thani classified the deadly attack in the capital of Qatar as an act of “state terrorism.” The Israeli attack of the previous day killed six hamas members who negotiated a US-mediated ceasefire agreement and other Gulf countries.

“He needs to be brought to justice,” said Al-Thani about Israeli Prime Minister.

Netanyahu responded challengingly to international criticism of the attack, including a White House statement that unilateral bombing within the Qatar “does not promote the objectives of Israel or the United States.”

In a video statement, Netanyahu accused the catar of sheltering terrorists and suggested that the right to continue attacks in the future. “I say to Qatar and all the nations that house terrorists: either expel them or lead them to justice,” he said. “Because if you don’t do that, we will do it.”

Al-Thani accused Netanyahu of “wasting” Qatar’s time by hosting negotiations between Israel and Hamas and said his country would re-evaluate “everything” about his role as a mediator in the conflict.

“I was meeting one of the hostage families on the morning of the attack,” said Al-Thani. “They are counting on this mediation [de cessar-fogo]they have no other hope. ”

“I think what Netanyahu did yesterday ended any hope for those hostages,” he added.

Other Israeli authorities also responded challenging public criticism of the attack, amid doubts about whether the missiles fired by Israeli Air Force planes had killed any of their main targets.

On Wednesday, the country’s Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, warned that his “long arm will act against his enemies anywhere.”

“There is no place where they can hide,” Katz wrote in the X, adding, “All who participated in the October 7 massacre will be fully responsible. Anyone who practices terror against Israel will be harmed.”

The Israeli ambassador in the US, Yechiel Leiter, told Fox News that if the attack had not killed Hamas leaders, he would succeed “next time.”

Qatar, an ally near the US, has been negotiating to ensure a ceasefire in the Gaza War and plays a key role as an intermediary. Hamas leaders would have met to discuss a new proposal for ceasefire presented by US President Donald Trump.

In a social media publication, Trump insisted that he had no role in the attack. “This was a decision made by the Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, it wasn’t my decision, ”he wrote on his social network Truth. He said his government tried to alert Qatar about the attack, but” unfortunately, it arrived too late. “

Hamas stated in a statement that all its leaders were safe, but five lower -ranking members would have been killed. A high Israeli employee admitted on Wednesday that optimism as to the success of the attacks was decreasing.

Qatar said one of his security forces was killed in the attack and accused Israel of “state terrorism.”

Israel again mobilized its aerial power on Wednesday with an attack on Yemen. The Almaasirah TV, run by the Militia Hourthi Movement, which rules much of the country, reported that the Ministry of Defense in the capital, Sanaa, had been hit. The Israeli army radio reported that the headquarters and the Humuthi military camps were among the targets.

Keir Stmerer, the British Prime Minister, condemned the attack on Qatar, saying that Israel violated Qatar’s sovereignty and did nothing to ensure the peace with which the United Kingdom and many of our allies are committed. ”

Russia and China also condemned the attack, while regional rulers went to pick up in a demonstration of solidarity.

Flames shoot the air after the Israeli attack on Sanaa on Wednesday. | Ap

In Israel, the attacks caused celebrations, but also anxiety among the hostage families kept in Gaza, who said they were afraid for the fate of their loved ones after 23 months of conflict.

The war was triggered by an attack from Hamas to Israel in October 2023, during which militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped 250. Of these, 48 hostages remain in Gaza, but less than half are believed to be alive.

The following Israeli offensive killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, injured more than 150,000 and reduced much of Gaza to ruins.

“Why does the prime minister insist on destroying any short chance of agreement? Why? The people of Israel are tired of this war. They finish it soon and bring them all back,” said Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan was kidnapped from his Kibutz.

Successive research has shown ample support in Israel to an agreement to end the war and free the hostages, while Netanyahu was accused of prolonging the conflict for political purposes.

Qatar hosted several rounds of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Doha and helped mediate two short -term truce with the US and Egypt as mediators.

Andreas Krieg, senior professor at King’s College London, called it a “blow right at the heart of regional mediation” – and a blow that Washington could not prevent. “This shows that Trump is unable to really apply the policy he is establishing, which was built around mediation,” he said.

Hamas, who ruled Gaza for almost two decades, but today controls only parts, said once again on Saturday he would release all hostages if Israel agreed to end the war and remove their forces from Gaza.

Netanyahu is pushing for a comprehensive agreement that would result in the liberation of all hostages at once, the disarmament of Hamas and the exile of militant leaders.

Amos Naden, director of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle East and Africa studies, said Tuesday’s attack could have been planned to be a movement similar to Hassan Nasrallah’s last year’s murder, Lebanese militia leader and Hamas ally Hezbollah, who was followed by a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon two months later.

“In Israel… the vast majority of people are now in favor of ending the war and bringing the hostages back… So these may seem like the final observations of the war,” said Nadan.

Meanwhile, in Sanaa, the population said Wednesday’s attack reached a hiding place between two mountains that was used as a headquarters of command and control. The extent of the damage was not immediately clarified.

At the end of August, an Israeli attack on Yemen killed Prime Minister Houthi, Ahmed Al-Rahawi.

The Hethis, which are supported by Iran, attacked vessels in the Red Sea in what they describe as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza and fired missiles against Israel, most of which were intercepted.

Originally published by The Guardian on 9/10/2025

Roth’s Porwor in Jason Burke