Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said on Tuesday that an Israeli attack earlier this month that targeted the political leaders of Hamas in Doha was an attempt by Israel to derail the Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
The attack, which Al Thani described as an act of “state terrorism,” was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could scuttle U.S.-backed efforts to broker a truce in Gaza and end the nearly two-year war there.
Speaking before the UN General Assembly, Al Thani said the attack shocked the international community and accused Israel of seeking the destruction of Gaza.
He argued that Israel opposes ending the war if it requires releasing hostages, claiming the government had effectively abandoned their freedom. “If freeing the captives means stopping the war, then Israel rejects it,” he said, accusing Israel of prioritizing military objectives over diplomacy.
The emir stressed that Qatar, along with Egypt and the United States, had played a central role in mediating hostage releases. He noted that 148 captives had been freed through these efforts and said no party to negotiations would target a delegation unless the goal was to sabotage talks.
“Our aim is clear,” he said, listing Qatar’s priorities as securing a cease-fire, releasing all hostages, withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza, and freeing Palestinian prisoners. Attacking mediators, he added, endangered progress toward those objectives.
Sheikh Tamim also accused Israel of pursuing ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and “imposing facts on the ground” through its war in Gaza. He described Israel as hostile to its region and said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly boasts of blocking a Palestinian state.
Against the backdrop of a growing wave of recognition of Palestinian statehood, the emir accused Israel of seeking regional domination. He said Arab and Muslim nations had warned of the consequences of what he called Israel’s illusions of control. “Anyone who resists Israel’s propaganda,” he added, “is branded a terrorist or an antisemite.”