Qatar calls Israel an ‘enemy’, slams Doha strikes as ‘terrorism’ & threatens to respond - but vows to keep mediating

Following the Israeli strike against the leadership of Hamas in his capital of Doha, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani blasted Israel, which he called an “enemy,” but nevertheless vowed to continue in a mediating role.

Al Thani accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who he said carried out “state terrorism,” of trying to sabotage the negotiations with Hamas through the “treacherous” airstrike.

“Qatar reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack and will take all necessary measures to respond,” he said, without specifying the nature of the response. The country’s military relies on foreign mercenaries and is not capable of striking Israel on its own.

“Qatar today was subjected to an Israeli terrorist attack aimed at undermining stability and security in the region. We have reached a critical moment, and there must be a response to these actions,” he continued.

Qatari PM Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani:

- We reserve the right to retaliate for these treacherous attacks
- Today's attack by Israel is an act of "state terrorism"
- Netanyahu said he'll reshape the region earlier, does he mean Gulf region also?
- We've reached a decisive… pic.twitter.com/PaoecpBZiD

— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) September 9, 2025

“The attack is a message to the region that there is a rogue actor and political chaos. Netanyahu is leading the region toward irreversible escalation,” he said.

“The strike violated not only international law but also moral standards. Today can only be described in one word – betrayal. Negotiations continue at the request of the United States, but Israel acted to sabotage these efforts.”

“Qatar has spared no efforts and will do everything it can to stop this war in Gaza, but for current talks, I do not think there's something valid right now after what we saw from today's attack,” he added.

Al Thani also contradicted U.S. President Donald Trump, who said that he warned Qatar before the attack. Al Thani said that the warning came ten minutes after the strikes.

BREAKING: Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani says the US warned them about the attack 10 minutes after it began, despite the White House saying they gave Qatar advanced notice of the attack.https://t.co/xjHHStaJLi

📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602 pic.twitter.com/fMet6oWCPE

— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 9, 2025

Despite a lack of clarity regarding the targeted Hamas leaders and whether they had been killed, Al Thani noted that Qatari “Security forces responded immediately to the incident, in which there were dead and wounded.”

The Israeli strike was almost universally condemned, including by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he “felt badly” about the location of strike but also noted that eliminating Hamas was a “worthy goal.”

According to Al Thani’s office, Trump later called the Qatari Emir to express his “solidarity with the State of Qatar and his strong condemnation of the attack on its sovereignty, pointing out that diplomatic solutions are sufficient to resolve outstanding issues in the region.”

Trump also reiterated that “the State of Qatar is a trusted strategic ally of the United States of America, calling on His Highness the Emir to continue Qatar’s mediation efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip,” the statement said.

The Emir also received solidarity calls from the Saudi Crown Prince, the President of the UAE, and the Emir of Kuwait, who all criticized the strikes.

Saudi Arabia, which lies along the most likely route taken by Israeli fighter jets on their way to Qatar, condemned the “brutal Israeli aggression.”

Mohamed Bin Zayed, President of the UAE, who made peace with Israel in the Abraham Accords five years ago, called the strikes a “criminal act and a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms.”

More criticism came from the United Nations, from European states whose relations with Israel have deteriorated in recent months, but also from allies like Germany and Japan.

I strongly condemn the Israeli attacks in Qatar – a clear violation of the country’s sovereignty & territorial integrity.

Qatar has played a positive role to achieve a ceasefire & the release of all hostages.

Everyone must work towards achieving a permanent ceasefire, not… pic.twitter.com/FNhfJh0HRr

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) September 9, 2025

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that Qatar is “a country that has been playing a very positive role to achieve a ceasefire and release of all hostages,” and condemned “this flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar.”

The UN Security Council will discuss the issue in an emergency meeting on Wednesday.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron said the strike was “unacceptable, whatever the reason,” and expressed “solidarity with Qatar and its Emir.”

“Under no circumstances should the war spread throughout the region,” he added.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer “condemned“ the strikes, which he said violated “Qatar’s sovereignty and risk[ed] further escalation across the region.”

Other countries that condemned Israel included Canada, Italy, Spain, Russia, Turkey; Israel’s peace partners Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco; and its neighbors, Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian Authority.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who, so far, has not joined his European partners in recognizing a Palestinian state or declaring Israeli ministers as personae non gratae, called the Israeli strikes “unacceptable” during a phone call with Qatar’s emir.

Merz described the attack as a “violation of Qatar's sovereignty and territorial integrity” and warned against the conflict spreading throughout the region, according to a German government statement.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also said that the operation undermined diplomatic peace efforts “and threatens Qatar’s sovereignty and security, and ultimately the stability of the region. Our country strongly condemns this.”