Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted about bombing Qatar in an interview published on September 6, saying he attacked the country during the war and dismissing accusations that Qatari funds sent to Gaza were used for anything other than humanitarian aid. “I attacked Qatar, I also bombed it and attacked them during the war, and they attacked me,” Netanyahu said in the i24NEWS interview, calling Qatar a “hostile” state that did not dictate Israeli policy.
Netanyahu’s comments referred to an Israeli strike on Doha on September 9, 2025, that killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer during a meeting to discuss a U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal. Qatar, which has long served as a mediator in Middle East conflicts and has hosted Hamas’s political office since 2012, condemned the strike as a “blatant violation of all international laws and norms,” with the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs calling it a “cowardly” assault.
The strike prompted international backlash. Several countries in the region, including Iran and Pakistan, condemned the attack, with leaders from Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia visiting Qatar in a show of solidarity. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the strikes a “flagrant violation” of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Later that month, Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump called Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani to apologize for the strike.
During the i24NEWS interview, Netanyahu also defended the transfer of millions of dollars in Qatari funds to Gaza that Israel had facilitated, saying the funds were intended for humanitarian purposes and had been transferred on the recommendation of Israeli security agencies Mossad and Shin Bet. “All this money is worth 2 percent – 2 percent of all the money that entered the Strip,” the prime minister said. Some of Netanyahu’s detractors have alleged that the funds were used to help Hamas prepare its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which precipitated its war on Gaza, though Qatar denies such allegations.
Netanyahu made the remarks weeks before Israelis head to the polls on October 27 in the country’s first general election since its war on Gaza began in 2023. With the vote approaching, Netanyahu faces mounting pressure at home over his government’s handling of the Gaza war, the economy and the war with Iran—all shaping up as central issues in the campaign. Analysts and critics say Netanyahu has repeatedly stoked tensions with other states ahead of elections to rally nationalist support, a strategy that appears evident in his boastful framing of the Qatar strike as he campaigns for reelection.
Sources
- Al Jazeera — Netanyahu’s boastful comments about bombing Qatar, his defense of Qatari funds, the September 9, 2025 strike details, international condemnation, and analysis of his election strategy
- TBS News — Confirmation of Netanyahu’s boasts and the 2025 strike on Doha killing five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer
- Britannica — October 27, 2026 election date and central campaign issues
