Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday warned Hamas leaders living in Qatar, accusing them of blocking ceasefire efforts and prolonging the conflict in Gaza.
In a post on X, Netanyahu said the Hamas politburo based in Doha was dragging out the war endlessly and preventing the release of hostages. “The Hamas terrorist chiefs living in Qatar don’t care about the people in Gaza. They blocked all ceasefire attempts in order to endlessly drag out the war. Getting rid of them would rid the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war,” he wrote.
Netanyahu’s statement comes amid repeated Israeli criticism of Qatar for hosting Hamas’s top leadership, including political bureau head Ismail Haniyeh and other senior figures. Israel accuses them of directing the war while living in safety abroad, according to The Times of Israel.
Earlier this week, Netanyahu compared Israel’s campaign against Hamas leaders in Qatar to America’s response after the September 11, 2001, attacks. In a video message, he said Israel would act against Hamas leaders “wherever they are,” unless Qatar expelled them or brought them to justice, as per Times of Israel.
Netanyahu said, “Bring them to justice, because if you don’t, we will.”
Qatar rejected those remarks as “reckless” and said hosting Hamas leaders was part of internationally backed mediation efforts involving the US and Israel.
After Netanyahu’s comment about Qatar hosting Hamas leaders, Qatar’s foreign ministry issued a statement condemning his remarks, saying, “Netanyahu is fully aware that the hosting of the Hamas office took place within the framework of Qatar’s mediation efforts requested by the United States and Israel”.
“The negotiations were always held in an official and transparent manner, with international support and in the presence of US and Israeli delegations. Netanyahu’s insinuation that Qatar secretly harboured the Hamas delegation is a desperate attempt to justify a crime condemned by the entire world.”
The Times of Israel reported that Tuesday’s Israeli airstrike in Doha targeted a meeting of Hamas’s senior leadership, who were believed to be discussing a new US-backed proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza. (ANI)
