Qatar PM slams Israeli strike on Doha as ‘state terror’, says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for hostage deal

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani on Wednesday condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of sabotaging regional stability and killing any remaining hope for a ceasefire or the release of hostages still held in Gaza.

In in exclusive interview with CNN on Wednesday, Al-Thani described Israel’s recent airstrike on Doha as “state terror,” warning that the attack had shattered the fragile mediation efforts Qatar has been leading between Israel and Hamas.

“I have no words to express how enraged we are from such an action … this is state terror,” CNN quoted Al-Thani as saying.

“We are betrayed,” he added.

The Israeli strike reportedly targeted Hamas leadership figures in Qatar’s capital — a move Al-Thani said undermines Qatar’s longstanding and transparent role as a mediator in the Middle East conflict.

“Everything about the meeting is very well known to the Israelis and the Americans. It’s not something that we are hiding,” he told CNN, adding, “There’s no justification that this is considered harboring terrorism.”

Al-Thani emphasised that Qatar’s contact with Hamas leaders has always been public and coordinated with international stakeholders, including the US, in its role as a neutral intermediary.

The Qatari PM also issued a dire warning regarding the fate of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, saying that Netanyahu’s actions “just killed any hope” for their safe release.

“I was meeting one of the hostages’ families the morning of the attack,” Al-Thani said. “They are counting on this mediation. They have no other hope.”

Asked whether Hamas would have accepted the latest US-backed ceasefire proposal had the strike not taken place, Al-Thani said he couldn’t speculate, but cautioned that both Israel and Hamas are “going to run out of chances” to secure a deal.

According to CNN, US President Donald Trump — who returned to office in January — was not informed of the Israeli strike in advance by Israeli officials.

Instead, he was briefed shortly beforehand by Chairman of the Joint Staff Gen. Dan Caine, according to US officials. Trump then instructed White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who has longstanding ties to Qatar, to engage with Qatari counterparts.

Despite the diplomatic rift, Al-Thani noted that the US “has expressed their support for Qatar on many occasions,” though he made clear that recent developments have left Doha feeling blindsided.

Qatar has served as a central mediator throughout the Israel-Gaza conflict, facilitating indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas and helping broker past hostage exchanges and humanitarian ceasefires.

The Gulf nation has hosted Hamas political leaders for years — a policy long tolerated by the West due to Qatar’s role in back-channel diplomacy.

The Israeli government has not formally commented on Al-Thani’s remarks or the specific target of the strike on Doha.

With inputs from agencies