US President Donald Trump stated that the Israeli strike on Qatar was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision and was not ‘directed by him. He stressed that a unilateral strike on Qatar was not in the interest of either the US or Israel.
Hamas clarified that the Israeli forces targeted the senior political leaders in Doha. The airstrike killed five members of the group, including exiled Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya. The strike has drawn strong criticism from across the Middle East, with fear that it could further worsen the instability in the region.
Doha had been mediating talks between Hamas and Israel since October 2023, during the Gaza conflict, which claimed the lives of 1,200 Israelis and led to more than 250 hostages being taken. Since then, Israel’s military has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, displacing the entire population of Gaza, and triggering a humanitarian crisis.
ALSO READ: Israel Targets Hamas Chiefs in Qatar, Jeopardizing Ceasefire Talks
Israel insists its actions are in self-defence, citing Hamas’s assault on October 7, 2023. Over the past year, it has also launched strikes in Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Yemen.
Key Updates on the Doha Strike
1. Qatar has been a crucial US ally, mediating ceasefire talks, pushing for hostage releases, and planning for Gaza’s future.
2. Trump said he instructed envoy Steve Witkoff to warn Qatar, but the message arrived too late. Qatar rejected this, saying the US only called after the explosions began.
3. Trump later spoke with Netanyahu and Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, stating, “I’m not thrilled about the whole situation… We want the hostages back, but we are not thrilled about the way that went down today.”
4. The strike rattled neighbouring Gulf states. Qatar, home to the region’s largest US military base and a major sovereign wealth fund, condemned the action.
ALSO READ: Qatar Forms Legal Team for Retaliation After PM Labels Netanyahu a “State Terrorist”
5. The UAE warned of “extremely dangerous repercussions,” while Saudi Arabia labelled it a “criminal act. Qatar called it “a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms.”
6. Netanyahu insisted it was “a wholly independent Israeli operation,” while Hamas confirmed five deaths but said its negotiators survived, vowing its terms would not change.
7. Qatar accused Israel of breaching sovereignty. Other Middle Eastern and European governments voiced concern that the strike could widen the war.
8. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged an immediate ceasefire, while French President Emmanuel Macron warned, “under no
circumstances should the war spread throughout the region.”
9. Oil prices spiked, with West Texas Intermediate crude briefly climbing 2.3% above $63 a barrel before stabilising.
10. Qatar had helped broker a proposal in August for hostage releases tied to Israeli withdrawal, but talks stalled after Israel demanded full disarmament. Israel has now ordered one million Gaza City residents to evacuate before a new offensive.
