Egypt is signaling growing frustration with Israel following an Israeli strike targeting senior Hamas leadership in Doha, which Qatar has called a violation of its sovereignty and a blow to regional mediation efforts, Qatari daily The New Arab reported Wednesday.
While Cairo has stopped short of withdrawing from Gaza ceasefire talks, Egyptian officials told the paper the recent escalation could prompt a reassessment of its diplomatic engagement.
Israeli strike on Hamas leadership in Doha, Qatar
According to one source, Egypt will not formally suspend negotiations aimed at ending the war in Gaza, but its involvement may be scaled back if Israel continues what officials have described as a "dangerous development" under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Another Egyptian source emphasized that Egypt chooses how and when to communicate with Israel—not who its Israeli counterparts are. “As long as Netanyahu continues his current policies, Egypt’s engagement will remain minimal and guided strictly by national security interests,” they said.
The comments follow Qatar’s sharp condemnation of Netanyahu after he accused Doha of secretly harboring Hamas leaders under the guise of mediation. Qatar’s foreign ministry rejected the claim, describing it as a “shameful attempt … to justify the cowardly attack” on Qatari soil. Doha stated that Hamas representatives were hosted openly and "within the framework of Qatar’s mediation efforts requested by the United States and Israel."
War correspondent Ron Ben-Yishai on Hamas leadership strike
Netanyahu’s remarks—delivered in English and referencing the 9/11 attacks—drew particular ire. Qatar called the comparison to al-Qaida “a desperate distortion,” noting that no international mediation ever included cooperation with the terror network.
Qatar vowed to continue its role as a diplomatic intermediary and to defend its sovereignty through all available legal and international channels. The country’s legal team, formed in response to the attack, convened this week to explore legal avenues and reaffirm Qatar’s commitment to international law.
In Egypt, the fallout has compounded concerns that Israel is ignoring Cairo’s requests for broader humanitarian access to Gaza. According to Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, Egyptian-Israeli communication is now at its lowest point since being reduced to the military coordination committee established under the Camp David Accords.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed al-Thani
(Photo: REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Ludovic MARIN / AFP, Oliver CONTRERAS AF)
The report added that no progress has been made in talks with the United States to renew a ceasefire, and that Cairo warned Washington any similar attack on Egyptian soil would trigger “devastating consequences.” Egyptian officials reportedly reaffirmed their intent to host and protect Palestinian faction leaders on Egyptian territory.
One Egyptian source claimed the strike in Doha may have been a substitute for a previously foiled Israeli operation in Turkey. Meanwhile, Qatari media continued to frame the attack as the result of a years-long Israeli campaign to delegitimize Doha’s role in Gaza, citing senior Israeli figures who accused Qatar of financing Hamas.