Netanyahu Warns Qatar After Strikes on Hamas Leaders, Cites 9/11 as Comparison

Days after Israel launched targeted strikes in Doha against Hamas leaders, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a sharp warning to Qatar. In a video message posted on X, he urged Doha to expel Hamas leaders and bring them to justice, warning that if Qatar does not act, Israel will “get the job done.”

The message came just before the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in the United States. Netanyahu called 9/11 the worst act of terror on American soil and linked it to Israel’s own tragedy on October 7, when Hamas launched a deadly assault on Israeli civilians. “We also have a September 11th. We remember October 7th. On that day, Islamist terrorists committed the worst savagery against the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” he said.

Netanyahu Defends Strikes in Doha

Netanyahu defended Israel’s recent actions by drawing parallels with America’s response to 9/11. “What did America do in the wake of September 11th? It promised to hunt down the terrorists who committed this heinous crime, wherever they may be,” he said. He added that Israel is doing the same with Hamas, pointing to the U.S. operations against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

US Reaction

Despite Netanyahu’s comparison, former U.S. President Donald Trump described Israel’s strikes in Doha as a “unilateral operation.” According to the Wall Street Journal, the two leaders even had a heated phone conversation over the attacks.

Netanyahu’s remarks have added more tension to Israel’s already strained ties with Qatar, a country that has hosted Hamas leaders for years and has been involved in past mediation efforts between Israel and the group.

As the fallout continues, Qatar has not yet responded directly to Netanyahu’s latest warning, but the issue is likely to intensify debates on Israel’s military strategy and its international consequences.