'Qatar funds Hamas': Netanyahu says strikes on Hamas officials in Qatar are 'entirely justified'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Qatar funds Hamas': Netanyahu says strikes on Hamas officials in Qatar are 'entirely justified'")
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Photograph: (Reuters)
Netanyahu defended Israel’s first strike in Qatar, claiming Doha funds Hamas. The attack killed six, intensified regional tensions, and drew condemnation from nearly 60 nations as fragile ceasefire talks faced fresh obstacles.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended last week’s strike on Hamas officials in Qatar, describing it as justified because of the Gulf state’s close ties with the militant group. “Qatar is connected to Hamas, it bolsters Hamas, it harbours Hamas, it funds Hamas… It has strong levers (that it could pull), but it chose not to,” Netanyahu told reporters at a press conference. “Therefore our action was entirely justified,” he added. The airstrike in Doha was the first time Israel had launched such an operation on Qatari soil, a country that is also a US ally.
What was the outcome of the strike?
The bombing killed six people, though none of them were the senior Hamas leaders that Israel said it was targeting, according to both Israeli sources and the militant group. The unprecedented move has heightened tensions in the region and added new pressure to already fragile ceasefire negotiations.
How did Qatar react?
Qatar responded by calling an emergency meeting of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Nearly 60 nations attended, condemning Israel and urging collective action. Qatar has no diplomatic relations with Israel but has long hosted Hamas leaders. It has also acted as a mediator in ceasefire talks and in negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages captured during Hamas' 7 October 2023 attack.
What is Qatar’s role in the conflict?
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Between 2018 and 2023, Qatar provided millions of dollars each month in cash and aid to Gaza, funding that was approved at the time by Netanyahu’s cabinet. Despite this, Israeli media earlier this year reported that two of Netanyahu’s aides were investigated by Shin Bet for allegedly receiving payments from Qatar, a scandal dubbed “Qatargate”.
Netanyahu, who testified in the inquiry in March, dismissed it as a “political witch hunt”. Reports also linked the dismissals of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and efforts to remove Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to their involvement in the probe.
