Netanyahu calls Qatar a 'hostile state' as Doha disputes Iran over attacks
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu described Qatar as a "hostile state" while denying it influenced Israel's decisions during the Gaza war. Separately, Qatar and Iran are disputing how to interpret a document related to Iranian attacks on Qatari territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with i24NEWS, dismissed suggestions that Qatar shaped Israeli policy during the Gaza war. He labelled Qatar a "hostile state" but insisted it had never dictated Israel's decisions.
Netanyahu also referenced last year's Israeli strike on Doha, stating plainly: "I attacked Qatar — I also bombed it." The September 2025 strike targeted senior Hamas officials gathered in Doha for negotiations on a US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal. Six people were killed, including a member of Qatar's security forces, though Hamas said its top negotiators survived. Qatar condemned the strike as a breach of its sovereignty. Netanyahu later apologised to Doha during a call with US President Donald Trump and Qatar's prime minister, pledging Israel would not repeat such an attack.
The remarks came as Netanyahu defended his government over transfers of Qatari money into Gaza before the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. He said the funds were meant for humanitarian aid and that Israeli security agencies had recommended the transfers. Qatar has repeatedly denied funding Hamas, saying its assistance reached Palestinians in Gaza through channels known to both Israel and the United States. Doha had not publicly responded to Netanyahu's latest comments.
Dispute with Iran
Separately, Qatar and Iran clashed over how to characterise Iranian missile and drone attacks on Qatari territory. Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari, accused Tehran of selectively citing a Qatari security document to support claims that Iranian strikes had mainly hit US military facilities. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, had referenced a Qatari security assessment prepared for the International Telecommunication Union, arguing it showed nearly all strikes targeted US sites, apart from a March attack on gas facilities at Ras Laffan, which he linked to support for US military operations.
Al Ansari rejected that framing, urging reliance instead on Qatar's official submissions to the United Nations, which documented missiles passing over civilian, commercial and residential areas and detailed damage and injuries from earlier attacks. He also disputed Iran calling the Ras Laffan strike "alleged," saying Qatar had formally documented it. On Friday, Qatar sent letters to the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council president rejecting Iran's legal justification for the attacks, which began on 28 February, asserting its right to self-defence and compensation while continuing diplomatic efforts to ease regional tensions.
