Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday warned countries accused of giving refuge to Hamas leaders, vowing that Israel would act if they failed to expel or prosecute them.
“You either expel them or bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will,” Netanyahu declared in Jerusalem.
His remarks came a day after Israeli warplanes struck a residential compound in Doha, killing the son of senior Hamas figure Khalil al-Hayya, his office manager, three aides, and a member of Qatar’s internal security forces. Hamas confirmed that members of its negotiating team survived the attack.
Defending the strike, Netanyahu accused Qatar of financing Hamas and offering its leaders “sumptuous villas.” He compared Israel’s action to the US operation that killed Osama bin Laden, insisting that critics of Israel should “applaud” rather than condemn.
“Yesterday, we acted along those lines. We went after the terrorist masterminds who committed the October 7th massacre,” he said, referring to the Hamas-led assault that triggered the ongoing conflict.
Qatar strongly condemned the strike, calling it a violation of its sovereignty, and announced that it has formed a legal team, headed by the minister of state for foreign affairs, to pursue action against Israel.
The attack drew swift condemnation from several regional powers, including the UAE, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. The White House also criticized the move, saying it “does not advance Israel or America’s goals,” while U.S. President Donald Trump expressed he was “very unhappy” with Israel’s actions.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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