Israel's Doha airstrikes 'killed any hope' for hostages: Qatari PM
What's the story
Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "killing any hope" for the remaining hostages in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike on Hamas negotiators in Doha killed five Hamas members. "I think that what Netanyahu has done yesterday, he just killed any hope for those hostages," he told CNN. Calling the airstrike an act of "state terror," Al-Thani said "he (Netanyahu) needs to be brought to justice."
Condemnation issued
Al-Thani calls airstrike 'state terror'
The Qatari PM also revealed that he was meeting a hostage's family on the morning of the attack, who were depending on these negotiations for hope. "They are counting on this [ceasefire] mediation; they have no other hope for that," he said. Al-Thani also accused Netanyahu of "wasting" Qatar's time in hosting negotiations between Israel and Hamas, saying his country would reassess "everything" about its role as a mediator in the conflict.
Defense issued
Netanyahu defends airstrike, accuses Qatar of harboring terrorists
Netanyahu has defended the airstrike, accusing Qatar of harboring terrorists. He said, "I say to Qatar and all nations who harbor terrorists, you either expel them or you bring them to justice." He also invoked 9/11 on the eve of the US terrorist attack's anniversary to justify his strike. "Tomorrow is September 11th...On that day, Islamist terrorists committed the worst savagery on American soil," Netanyahu said. "We also have a September 11th. We remember October 7th."
Mediation questioned
Qatar threatens to withdraw from mediation role
The White House has distanced itself from the airstrike, calling it a "unilateral" decision. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the "bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard in bravely taking risks with us to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America's goals." "However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal," she asserted.
Yemen strike
Israel strikes Yemen after attack on Qatar
In a social media post, Trump also insisted he played no role. "This was a decision made by prime minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me," he wrote on Truth Social. He also claimed that his administration had tried to warn Qatar of the attack but was, "unfortunately, too late." Hamas reportedly said all of its leaders were safe, but five lower-ranked members were killed.