Qatar signals collective response from region to Israel’s strike

DOHA

Qatar will host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on Sept. 14-15 to discuss an Israeli attack on Doha, as the Qatari premier has pointed out a regional response to Israel.

On Sept. 9, Israeli warplanes launched an airstrike targeting Hamas leadership in Doha, killing five group members. Hamas confirmed that its leadership survived the Israeli attack.

Qatar’s prime minister said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “killed any hope” of releasing hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.

The comments from Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, ahead of appearing at the United Nations on Sept. 11, underscored the wider anger among Gulf Arab countries over Israel's strike that killed at least six people.

“We were thinking that we are dealing with civilized people,” Al Thani told CNN in an interview aired late on Sept. 10, calling for Netanyahu to be "brought to justice.”

“I have no words to express how enraged we are from such an action. … This is state terror,” the Qatari premier noted.

Qatar hopes that there will be a “collective response” to Israel’s strike on Hamas officials in Doha, al-Thani said.

“There is a response that will happen from the region. This response is currently under consultation and discussion with other partners in the region,” he said.

Al-Thani stated that a summit with Arab countries will be held in Doha in the coming days, where the participants will decide on a course of action.

Netanyahu defends strike with 9/11 analogy

Meanwhile, Netanyahu defended the recent Israeli military action in Doha, drawing parallels to the United States' response to the 9/11 attacks.

In a video message, Netanyahu described Hamas’ 2023 attack as Israel’s 9/11 moment and accused Qatar of providing a safe haven to Hamas, even financing the terrorists.

Netanyahu urged countries harboring terrorists to either expel them or bring them to justice, warning that Israel would take action if they do not.

"What did America do in the wake of Sept. 11? It promised to hunt down the terrorists who committed this heinous crime, wherever they may be. And it also passed a resolution in the U.N. Security Council, two weeks later, stating that governments cannot give harbor to terrorists. Well, yesterday, we acted along those lines," he said.

He further recalled U.S. operations against Al-Qaida and the killing of its leader Osama bin Laden.

"We did exactly what America did, went after Al-Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan and later killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan," he added.