Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani has strongly condemned Israel’s attempted assassination of Hamas leaders in Doha, calling it a “barbaric action” that destroyed hopes of securing the release of hostages in Gaza.
“We were thinking that we are dealing with civilized people. The action that Netanyahu took – I cannot describe it, but it’s a barbaric action,” Al-Thani told CNN.
He said the Israeli strike on Tuesday “killed any hope” for families counting on mediation efforts. “I was meeting one of the hostage’s families the morning of the attack. They have no other hope but this process. Netanyahu killed it yesterday,” he added.
Al-Thani described the attack in Doha as “state terror,” repeating remarks he made during a tense news conference where he accused Israel of betraying Qatar’s trust.
The prime minister confirmed that a 22-year-old Qatari security officer was killed in the strike and said others may still be missing. Hamas reported that five of its members were killed, though its negotiators survived.
He said Qatar is reassessing its mediation role, accusing Netanyahu of wasting time and undermining peace efforts. “He wasn’t serious about anything. We are rethinking everything,” Al-Thani said, adding that Doha is in detailed discussions with the United States on how to proceed.
Qatar, a close US ally and host of the largest American base in the region, was informed of the strike only shortly before it began — not by Israel, but by US military officials.
The prime minister also revealed that regional leaders are consulting on a “collective response” to Israel’s actions. An Arab-Islamic summit is expected to take place in Doha in the coming days.
“We are hoping for something meaningful that deters Israel from continuing this bullying,” Al-Thani said.