Qatar has issued a threat of “retaliation” against Israel following an incident that targeted Hamas leaders, with the nation’s prime minister characterizing the situation as a “pivotal moment” for the Middle East.
During a Tuesday news conference, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani stated, “The State of Qatar is committed to act in a decisive way with anything that would target its territories and will reserve the right to retaliate and will take all the needed measures to retaliate,” a statement reported by the Qatar-based news organization Al Jazeera.
Al-Thani characterized the action against Hamas as “state terrorism being carried out by someone like [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu.”
“I think that we have reached a decisive moment,” al-Thani continued. “There should be retaliation from the whole region in the face of those barbaric actions that only reflect one thing: It reflects the barbarism of this person that is leading the region, unfortunately, to a point where we cannot address any situation, and we cannot repair anything, and we cannot work within the frameworks of international laws. He just violates all those international laws.”
According to Israeli media, Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin were identified as two individuals targeted in the explosion that struck the capital of the Middle Eastern nation on Tuesday.
Al-Hayya had recently participated in negotiations concerning a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the liberation of remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Zaher Jabarin manages Hamas’s financial affairs and plays a significant role in its West Bank operations. Reports indicate he also participated in the negotiations, though in a less prominent capacity.
Hamas asserted in a Tuesday statement that Israel’s attempt to “assassinate the brothers in the negotiating delegation” was unsuccessful.
The White House disclosed on Tuesday that before the strike, President Donald Trump “immediately directed” Steve Witkoff, his special envoy to the Middle East, to notify Qatar of Israel’s “impending attack.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “This morning, the Trump administration was notified by the United States military that Israel was attacking Hamas, which very unfortunately was located in a section of Doha, the capital of Qatar.” She added, “Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace does not advance Israel or America’s goals.”
Leavitt continued, “However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal. President Trump immediately directed special envoy Witkoff to inform the Qataris of the impending attack, which he did.”
Subsequently, a spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuted Leavitt’s comments, stating that “statements being circulated about Qatar being informed of the attack in advance are baseless.”
The official clarified on X, “The call from a U.S. official came during the sound of explosions caused by the Israeli attack in Doha.”
Thomas Ferraro contributed to this report.