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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly acknowledged that Israel attacked and bombed Qatar during the Gaza war, describing the Gulf state as “hostile.”
In an interview with Israeli broadcaster i24NEWS, Netanyahu said, “I attacked Qatar, I also bombed it and attacked them during the war, and they attacked me.” He later shared the interview on social media.
His remarks came days before the first anniversary of an Israeli airstrike on Doha on September 9, 2025.
The strike targeted senior Hamas leaders who were meeting in the Qatari capital to discuss a US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal.
Five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer were killed in the attack.
Qatar has long played a mediating role in regional conflicts and has hosted Hamas’s political office in Doha since 2012, saying it did so at the request of the United States.
The 2025 strike drew widespread international condemnation. Qatar described it as a violation of international law and its sovereignty, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the attack as a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Netanyahu also defended Israel’s role in facilitating Qatari funds into Gaza, saying the money was intended for humanitarian purposes and had been transferred with the approval of Israel’s security agencies.
The Israeli leader’s latest comments have renewed attention on the strained relationship between Israel and Qatar as tensions continue to affect the wider Middle East.
