Qatar PM: Israel 'Just Killed Any Hope for Those Hostages'

Qatar's prime minister is sharply criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after an airstrike in Doha killed six Hamas members assigned to ceasefire talks, the Guardian reports. In a CNN interview, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani called the strike an act of "state terror" and claimed it "killed any hope" for the remaining hostages held in Gaza. The attack, carried out on Tuesday, targeted Hamas representatives in negotiations facilitated by Qatar, the US, and other Gulf states.

Netanyahu responded to international criticism—including a rare rebuke from the White House—by accusing Qatar of harboring terrorists and issuing a warning: "I say to Qatar and all nations who harbor terrorists, you either expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you don't, we will." Sources tell the Wall Street Journal that on Tuesday, US President Trump had a "heated" phone call with the Israeli PM expressing his frustration with the strike—and with the fact that the US was not given a heads-up. Netanyahu reportedly justified the move by saying he had to quickly take the small window of opportunity he had. During a second, more cordial phone call, sources say Trump asked Netanyahu if the strike had been successful.

Al-Thani said Qatar is now reconsidering its role as mediator, expressing frustration that efforts to broker a ceasefire may have been undermined. "He needs to be brought to justice," the Qatari leader said of Netanyahu, adding that hostage families had pinned all hope on mediation. Al-Thani also suggested Qatar could retaliate against Israel, Fox News reports.

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Israel's defense minister echoed Netanyahu's stance, vowing to target those responsible for the October 2023 Hamas attack "anywhere," and Israel's ambassador to the US also suggested that future strikes would continue if needed. Hamas, for its part, claimed its top leaders survived Tuesday's attack, though five lower-ranking officials died. Qatar also reported a member of its own security forces was killed.