Netanyahu boasts about bombing Qatar as Gaza aid dispute resurfaces
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly boasted about Israel's strike on Qatar, reviving attention on a September 2025 attack in Doha that triggered regional condemnation. In an interview shared on social media, he described Qatar as a hostile state and said he had "attacked Qatar" and "bombed it" during the war. The remarks come just days before the first anniversary of the strike and have brought the diplomatic fallout back into focus.
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Netanyahu also defended the transfer of Qatari money to Gaza, saying the funds had been intended for humanitarian purposes and were recommended by Israeli security agencies. He said the money represented only a small share of the total funds that entered the territory. The comments were made as he pushed back against domestic criticism over the role of those transfers.
The September 9, 2025 strike in Doha killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer during a meeting on a United States-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal. Qatar said the attack was a blatant violation of international law and sovereignty, while its foreign ministry described it as cowardly. The strike also drew condemnation from several regional governments, including Iran and Pakistan, and prompted solidarity visits to Doha by leaders from Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The episode matters because Qatar has long played a central mediating role in Middle East conflicts and has hosted Hamas's political office since 2012. The attack on its capital strained that role and raised questions about the risks facing ceasefire diplomacy around Gaza. It also highlighted the wider tensions between military operations, hostage and ceasefire negotiations, and the political use of aid flows into the enclave.
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The remarks also reopen debate over the years-long arrangement that allowed money to move from Qatar into Gaza with Israeli approval. Netanyahu said the transfers were made on the recommendation of the Mossad and Shin Bet security agencies and were meant for humanitarian purposes. Critics have argued that such funds may have helped Hamas strengthen its position before its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, although that allegation remains politically contested.
The strike on Doha later prompted an apology call from Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump to Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, during a White House meeting. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called the attack a flagrant violation of Qatar's sovereignty and territorial integrity. What remains unclear is whether Netanyahu's latest comments will affect any current diplomatic channels involving Qatar, or whether they will deepen the political damage already caused by the strike.
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