Qatar PM condemns Israeli strike on Doha, says Netanyahu ‘crossed the line’

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani stated that “we were attacked by Israel while we were mediating and trying to push for Trump’s proposal at that time in Doha”.

In a recent interview on “Piers Morgan Uncensored”, Sheikh Mohammed said that “it was unacceptable and condemned”, warning that “it’s setting a precedent of attacking the mediator that has never happened throughout the wars in history”.

On September 9, 2025, during the Gaza war, the Israelis carried out an air strike in the Leqtaifiya district of Qatar's capital Doha, targeting the leadership of Hamas, housed in a Qatari government residential complex, as it met to discuss an active ceasefire proposal presented by the United States.

The attack killed and injured Hamas members, Qatari security forces,[6] and multiple civilians. The attack was Israel's first known attack in Qatar, and its first direct strike on a Gulf Cooperation Council member.

Israeli opposition leader accuses Netanyahu of ‘fear-mongering’

Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, has accused Netanyahu of fear-mongering after the prime minister alleged that regional enemies may attack before the October 27 elections, the AFP news agency reports.

The report said Lapid had requested an urgent security briefing after Netanyahu issued the warning in a video recorded in front of a fighter jet at a military base.

Speaking following the late-night meeting, the opposition leader said he was certain the polls would take place on schedule and that “there is no reason to panic the public”.

“Netanyahu ignored every warning before October 7, and now, 28 days before the election, he’s suddenly busy fear-mongering,” Lapid said.

“I of course will not violate the confidentiality of the security briefing but it must be said – security threats must be handled professionally and responsibly,” he said, noting that military bases “are not the setting for election videos”.

Iran official denounces ‘Butcher of Gaza’ trip to UAE

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent visit to the United Arab Emirates.

Rezaei said that just as hosting US military bases failed to bring security to the Gulf region, welcoming the “Butcher of Gaza” won’t have “favourable consequences” either.

The UAE should learn from the results of the US-Israeli war on Iran, “desist from inciting conflicts, and stop making baseless claims regarding the Iranian islands”, he posted on social media.

Netanyahu’s trip last weekend comes a month before Israeli elections and amid controversy about news reports alleging President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had warned the Israeli leader that a major Hamas attack was likely just before the bloodshed on October 7, 2023.

Israeli and UAE foreign ministers speak by phone

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar says he has spoken by phone with his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

In a statement shared on social media, Saar described the call as “warm” and stressed the “mutual determination” to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperate against “extremist elements seeking to harm security and undermine stability in the region”.

Referring to the diverted Flydubai flight, Saar said Al Nahyan “expressed his joy that all the Israeli passengers had returned to their homes safely”.

Relations between Israel and the UAE have warmed since Abu Dhabi signed the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, which normalised ties between Israel and a number of Arab countries.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in May that Israel had deployed Iron Dome air defence batteries and personnel to the UAE to help defend against potential Iranian attacks amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.