Full Breakdown
Netanyahu Calls Qatar “Hostile” Amid Gaza-Aid Defense and Regional Tensions
9/7/2026, 2:12:34 PM
Netanyahu’s Hostile Label and Defense of Qatari Aid
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told i24NEWS that Qatar is a “hostile state” but denied that Doha dictated Israeli policy. He also defended the transfer of “millions of dollars” from Qatar to Gaza, saying the money was earmarked for humanitarian purposes and moved on the recommendation of Israel’s security agencies Mossad and Shin Bet.
Background of the September 2025 Doha Strike and Humanitarian Transfers
Netanyahu referenced a strike scheduled for September 9, 2025 on Doha that he said killed five senior Hamas members and a Qatari security officer during a meeting on a U.S.–backed Gaza cease-fire proposal.
Qatar’s Diplomatic Pushback and Dispute with Iran
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari rejected Iran’s claim that its missile and drone attacks were aimed solely at U.S. facilities, insisting that the strikes also hit civilian, commercial and residential areas. He urged Iran to refer to the formal record submitted by Qatar to the United Nations. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei cited a Qatari security assessment prepared for the International Telecommunication Union, arguing that most attacks targeted U.S. sites, with an exception for a strike on Ras Laffan gas facilities in March. On February 28 (an occurred date), Qatar sent letters to the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council president rejecting Iran’s legal justification for the attacks that began on that day.
Political Context Ahead of the Israeli Election
Netanyahu made these remarks weeks before the scheduled Israeli general election on October 27, the first since the Gaza war began in 2023. Political analysts have observed that he repeatedly heightens regional tensions in the run-up to the vote, a strategy they say aims to rally nationalist support.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Qatar is a hostile state, but Qatar is not a state that dictated anything here,” — Benjamin Netanyahu, israeli prime minister
- “I attacked Qatar, I also bombed it and attacked them during the war, and they attacked me,” — Benjamin Netanyahu, israeli prime minister
- “All this money is worth 2 percent – 2 percent of all the money that entered the Strip,” — Benjamin Netanyahu, israeli prime minister
