TEL AVIV — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has compared Israel’s surprise strike on Hamas leaders in Doha to America’s post-9/11 operations, saying Israel “did exactly what the U.S. did” when it hunted down Al Qaeda and killed Osama bin Laden.
The Israeli airstrike on Tuesday targeted Hamas’ political headquarters in Qatar but failed to eliminate its leadership, instead killing a Qatari security officer and five others. The attack has drawn sharp condemnation from Qatar, Western allies, and U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he was “very unhappy about every aspect” of the operation.
In a defiant video address, Netanyahu accused Qatar of providing Hamas with safe haven and warned other nations to expel terrorists or face Israeli action. “Because if you don’t, we will,” he said, urging the international community to applaud Israel’s stance as they did when the U.S. killed Bin Laden.
Qatar fired back, calling Netanyahu’s comments “reckless” and accusing him of distorting the fact that Hamas’ presence in Doha was part of internationally sanctioned mediation efforts — often involving U.S. and Israeli delegates. The Gulf state warned the strike could derail truce talks between Israel and Hamas, vowing to work with allies to hold Netanyahu “accountable.”
The confrontation has heightened tensions in an already fragile region, risking further escalation as peace negotiations hang in the balance.