DOHA/JERUSALEM. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that he would not rule out further strikes on Hamas leaders “wherever they are,” as Arab and Islamic states gathered in Doha on Sunday to show support for Qatar following last week’s Israeli attack in the Gulf state.
The September 9 strike in Doha, which Israel said targeted Hamas leaders, marked a sharp escalation in the conflict. Hamas confirmed that five members, including the son of its exiled Gaza chief, were killed, though senior leadership survived. Qatar reported that one of its security agents also died.
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani denounced the attack as “cowardly and treacherous,” urging the summit to take “practical and decisive steps” in response. Leaders from Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt joined the meeting, though the final communique softened language from earlier drafts, omitting direct warnings that the strike threatened regional normalization efforts. The statement did, however, call on states to review diplomatic and economic ties with Israel.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned that Israel’s actions “put obstacles in the way of any opportunities for any new peace agreements and even aborts existing ones.” The Gulf Cooperation Council separately criticized Israel’s “continuation of these aggressive policies,” saying they risk undermining existing agreements.
In Jerusalem, Netanyahu met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who offered strong backing despite Washington’s unease over the Qatar strike. Rubio stressed that the only way to end the Gaza war was for Hamas to release all hostages and surrender. “As much as we may wish that there be a peaceful, diplomatic way to end it, and we’ll continue to explore and be dedicated to it, we also have to be prepared for the possibility that’s not going to happen,” Rubio said, calling Hamas “savage terrorists.”
The United States confirmed it was not given advance warning of the Qatar strike. Former President Donald Trump, speaking on Sunday, cautioned that while Israel must act against Hamas, “Qatar has been a great ally to the United States” and should be treated carefully.
Meanwhile, fighting continued in Gaza. Local health authorities reported at least 16 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on two homes and a tent sheltering displaced families in Gaza City. The Israeli military also destroyed a 16-floor building in western Gaza, which it said was being used to hide “terrorist infrastructure,” after giving residents one hour to evacuate.
The Gaza war began after Hamas militants stormed southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s military response has since killed more than 64,000 people, Palestinian health authorities said.
Netanyahu also hinted at the possible annexation of the occupied West Bank in response to international recognition of a Palestinian state at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly. Asked about extending sovereignty, he said: “A future step is a future step. We don’t need to expose it ahead of time. It’s clear that taking unilateral actions against us simply invites unilateral actions on our part.”
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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