The Qatari Prime Minister says Netanyahu killed hope for hostages, delivering one of his most forceful condemnations yet of Israel’s actions following Tuesday’s deadly strike on Hamas leadership in Doha. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, in an exclusive interview with CNN, described the attack as “barbaric” and accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sabotaging months of painstaking ceasefire negotiations aimed at securing the release of hostages held in Gaza.
A Fierce Condemnation of Israel’s Actions
Speaking to CNN’s Becky Anderson, the Qatari prime minister did not hold back:
“We were thinking that we are dealing with civilized people,” Al-Thani said. “The action that Netanyahu took — I cannot describe it, but it’s a barbaric action.”
He added that Israel’s actions had “killed any hope” for the remaining hostages in Gaza, shattering the confidence of families who had been relying on Qatar’s mediation efforts to secure their loved ones’ release.
“I was meeting one of the hostage’s families the morning of the attack,” Al-Thani explained. “They were counting on this ceasefire mediation — they had no other hope for that. What Netanyahu has done just killed any hope for those hostages.”
The prime minister accused Israel of committing “state terror,” repeating the phrase he had used a day earlier at a heated press conference in Doha.
The Strike in Doha: What We Know
The Israeli strike, which targeted senior Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital, left at least five members of Hamas dead and caused significant damage to a residential building. A 22-year-old Qatari security officer was also killed, according to Al-Thani, who said authorities were still trying to account for others possibly missing after the attack.
Israel claimed the strike was aimed at eliminating Hamas negotiators involved in planning future operations against Israel. However, Hamas later confirmed that its chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya survived, and his status has not been officially disclosed.
Qatar, which has hosted indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas for months, viewed the attack as an unacceptable violation of its sovereignty.
Mediation Efforts at Risk
The Qatari Prime Minister says Netanyahu killed hope for hostages not just with words, but with consequences: Qatar is now “reassessing everything” about its role as mediator in the conflict.
“I’ve been rethinking the entire process for the last few weeks,” Al-Thani said. “Netanyahu was just wasting our time. He wasn’t serious about anything.”
Qatar has played a crucial role in brokering previous hostage releases and humanitarian pauses during the war in Gaza. The prime minister hinted that future Qatari involvement may depend on whether international partners, including the United States, can guarantee that such attacks will not undermine negotiations again.
US Response and Regional Fallout
Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East, making Washington a key player in any response to the strike. According to US officials, President Donald Trump was informed of the attack only shortly before it took place — and not by Israel, but by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.
Trump’s administration quickly relayed the news to Qatar through special envoy Steve Witkoff, a longtime friend of the Qatari leadership. While Trump stopped short of publicly condemning Israel’s action, his spokesperson said the president was “concerned” about the strike’s impact on ceasefire efforts.
Al-Thani confirmed that Qatar was engaged in “very detailed conversations” with Washington regarding next steps. “I’m following up with all the US officials in order to see what kind of actions can be taken as we speak,” he said.
A Ceasefire Deal Interrupted
Tuesday’s attack in Doha came just hours before Hamas was expected to deliver its response to a new US-backed ceasefire framework. The proposal, supported by Israel according to Trump, was reportedly close to agreement and could have paved the way for a pause in fighting and further hostage releases.
With Hamas’ negotiating team targeted, those talks are now in jeopardy. “Israel and Hamas are going to run out of chances,” Al-Thani warned, suggesting that the window for a diplomatic breakthrough is closing fast.
A Call for Regional Action
The Qatari Prime Minister says Netanyahu killed hope for hostages and urged a collective Arab and Islamic response. Al-Thani announced that Doha will host a regional summit in the coming days, where leaders will discuss possible measures to deter Israel from further escalations.
“There is a collective response that should happen from the region,” he said. “We are hoping for something meaningful that deters Israel from continuing this bullying.”
Al-Thani clarified that Qatar will not dictate how other nations should respond but wants a unified position that signals regional disapproval of Israel’s actions.
The Human Toll
Beyond the political fallout, the Doha strike has had a profound human cost. The families of hostages in Gaza, who had been holding on to hope that mediation efforts would lead to freedom for their loved ones, are now left in despair.
“Their last hope was Qatar’s mediation,” Al-Thani emphasized. “Now, they feel abandoned.”
International humanitarian groups have also expressed concern that the strike may violate international law and set a dangerous precedent for targeting political negotiations on neutral ground.
What Comes Next
With Qatar reconsidering its mediation role, the fate of hostages and the possibility of a ceasefire hang in the balance. Whether Washington can restore trust between Qatar and Israel remains to be seen, but the prime minister’s words leave little doubt that the diplomatic process has been severely damaged.
For now, the Qatari Prime Minister says Netanyahu killed hope for hostages, framing the Doha strike as not just a military operation but a major political and moral setback in efforts to end the war in Gaza.
Source: CNN
