Israeli PM Netanyahu Rejects Qatar as Peace Mediator, Labels It a Hamas Supporter

Jerusalem, Sept 2025 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly criticized Qatar on Tuesday, dismissing its role as a peace broker and accusing it of openly supporting Hamas.

Speaking to Times of Israel, Netanyahu argued that Doha could have exerted far greater pressure on Hamas to secure the release of Israeli hostages in the early months of the conflict. “It strengthens Hamas. It hosts Hamas. It funds Hamas. It has stronger levers, and it chose not to use them,” he said.

Netanyahu defended the September 9 Israeli strike on Doha — which drew widespread condemnation abroad — describing it as “entirely justified.” He added that while Qatar had provided financial support to Gaza for years, its efforts during the war amounted to little more than symbolic gestures.

When pressed on whether senior Hamas leaders were eliminated in the September 9 operation, Netanyahu refrained from providing specifics. “We’re still checking it out. It’s not yet fully conclusive. We’re waiting to see,” he remarked.

He also avoided responding to allegations that some of his close advisers had links with Qatar, which is under scrutiny for allegedly funding campaigns to improve its image in Israel following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror attack.

The September 9 mission, initially planned as a Mossad-led ground operation, was later converted into a missile strike after Israeli intelligence chief David Ben-Gurion deemed the plan unviable. However, the strike is widely viewed as a military failure, as it failed to eliminate key Hamas figures.

Despite this, Netanyahu defended the move as a demonstration of Israel’s determination to fight terrorism. “It may not have achieved all its objectives, but it showed our resolve. Wherever Hamas terrorists go, they should know they will be pursued,” he said.

Observers noted that while Israel termed the mission a partial success, its limited results highlight the ongoing challenges of eliminating Hamas leadership and infrastructure.