Qatar’s Emir Blasts Netanyahu’s ‘Dangerous Illusion’ After Israeli Strike
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim criticizes Israeli strike in Doha, questions Netanyahu's negotiation strategy with Hamas and warns against regional influence ambitions amid rising tensions.
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In a forceful address at the Arab-Islamic summit in Doha, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani condemned what he called a “treacherous” Israeli attack on Qatar’s capital and questioned Israel’s rationale for negotiating with Hamas if it intends to eliminate the terrorist group’s political leadership.
“The capital of my country where the summit is being held was subjected to a treacherous Israeli attack, at a time when the Hamas leadership was examining the American proposal,” the Emir said. “Our citizens were shocked and the whole world was shocked by the crime and the vile act of terror. The location of the meeting of Hamas leaders to discuss the American document was known to everyone. If Israel wants to eliminate Hamas’s political leadership, why is it negotiating with them?”
Sheikh Tamim framed Qatar as a mediator working to halt the war against the Palestinian people and to secure the release of Israeli hostages.
“Qatar is a mediating state that is making determined efforts to stop the war against the Palestinian people and to secure the release of the Israeli hostages,” he said. “Anyone who acts consistently and systematically to harm an actor that is conducting negotiations is, in effect, working to foil those negotiations.”
The Emir also took aim at Israeli policy in the region, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to expand Israeli influence across the Arab world.
“Netanyahu dreams that the Arab region will become an area of Israeli influence, and that is a dangerous illusion,” he said. “We are determined to do whatever is necessary to preserve our sovereignty and confront Israeli aggression.”
The remarks came amid heightened diplomatic tensions following the strike in Doha, which several delegations at the summit described as an unprecedented breach of sovereignty. Sheikh Tamim’s speech underscored Qatar’s role as a broker in talks over ceasefires and hostage releases, and highlighted the diplomatic strain between Doha and Jerusalem.
The summit continues as regional leaders weigh responses to recent events and debate the future of mediation efforts in the ongoing conflict.