Netanyahu Defends Qatar Strike and Gaza Aid Transfers Ahead of Upcoming Israeli Elections

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has boasted about bombing Qatar while dismissing domestic accusations that funds sent to Gaza were used for anything other than aid. In an interview with Israel’s i24NEWS that he shared on social media on Saturday, Netanyahu described Qatar as a “hostile” state that did not dictate Israeli policy during its military campaign in Gaza.

“I attacked Qatar, I also bombed it and attacked them during the war, and they attacked me,” Netanyahu stated. The interview precedes the one-year anniversary of Israel’s September 9, 2025, strike on Doha. That bombing killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer during a meeting concerning a United States-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal.

Qatar, a long-standing mediator in Middle East conflicts, has hosted Hamas’s political office since 2012 following requests from the US. Doha condemned the strike as a violation of international law, with Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari calling it a cowardly assault. Regional leaders, including those from Iran, Pakistan, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, also condemned the attack or offered solidarity. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres termed the strikes a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty.

During a subsequent meeting at the White House, Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump telephoned Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani to apologize for the strike. In the i24NEWS interview, Netanyahu defended the facilitation of Qatari funds to Gaza, stating they were for humanitarian purposes and approved by security agencies Mossad and Shin Bet. Critics have alleged these funds helped Hamas prepare for the October 7, 2023, attack, a claim denied by Qatar and Sheikh Mohammed.

The remarks arrive weeks before Israelis vote on October 27 in the first general election since the war began in 2023. Netanyahu faces mounting domestic pressure regarding his handling of the Gaza war, the economy, and the conflict with Iran.