Netanyahu Defends Qatar Strike, Likens Operation to U.S. Post-9/11 Actions; Qatar and Allies Condemn Attack

Jerusalem/Doha, Sept. 11, 2025 — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday mounted a defiant defence of Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar, dismissing mounting international criticism and framing the operation as equivalent to U.S. actions in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

In an English-language video message, Netanyahu warned Qatar to either “expel” senior Hamas figures or “bring them to justice, because if you don’t, we will.” He compared the October 7, 2023 assault by Hamas to 9/11, calling it “the worst savagery against the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”

“What did America do in the wake of September 11?” Netanyahu asked. “It hunted down the terrorists wherever they were and passed a UN Security Council resolution declaring that no government may harbor terrorists. Israel is following the same principle.”

He accused Qatar of harboring and financing Hamas, granting its leaders “mansions” in Doha, and argued that nations applauding the U.S. killing of Osama bin Laden should be “ashamed” of condemning Israel for pursuing Hamas.

Qatar Pushes Back

Qatar swiftly condemned Netanyahu’s comments as “reckless” and “explicit threats of future violations of sovereignty.” The Qatari Foreign Ministry stressed that Hamas’s political office in Doha operated under U.S. and Israeli-approved mediation frameworks and accused Israel of seeking to justify an attack “condemned by the entire world.”

The Israeli strike on Tuesday targeted a Hamas leadership meeting in Doha, where officials were discussing a U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal. Hamas confirmed that no senior leaders were killed, but five members — including the son of Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas’s Gaza chief and chief negotiator — were among the dead. The Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat reported that two senior Hamas officials were wounded, one critically.

Sources suggested the operation faltered because Israel relied heavily on phone geolocation, unaware Hamas leaders often leave their devices outside such meetings.

Regional Fallout

Hamas denounced the strike as a “crime” but vowed it would not alter its strategy. Senior figure Husam Badran, believed to have been in Doha, warned Israel posed a “real threat to regional security and stability.”

Within Israel, some officials questioned the timing. President Isaac Herzog defended the operation, saying al-Hayya had blocked a Gaza deal. But Channel 12 reported that Mossad chief David Barnea had urged delaying the strike until ceasefire talks progressed, calling the move a “mistake.”

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told CNN the strike had “killed any hope for hostages” and plunged mediation efforts into crisis. He accused Netanyahu of dragging the Middle East into “chaos” and warned Doha was reassessing its role as mediator.

Global Repercussions

The strike drew sharp responses from international partners. Qatar formally protested to the UN, calling the attack a “blatant violation of international law.” The Gulf state also secured expressions of solidarity from Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE, all condemning the assault.

In Canada, Foreign Minister Anita Anand said Ottawa was reviewing ties with Israel, while the European Commission signaled it might propose suspending trade-related measures.

In Washington, President Donald Trump privately expressed anger, with Axios reporting that U.S. officials felt blindsided by Israel’s late notification. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump scolded Netanyahu in a heated phone call, warning the strike was unwise. Relations between the two leaders remain strained, though Netanyahu later publicly praised Trump as “the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House.”