Netanyahu boasts of bombing Qatar, defends Gaza aid transfers

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted about bombing Qatar in an interview with i24NEWS, days before the one-year anniversary of Israel's September 9, 2025 strike on Doha that killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer. He also defended Israeli-facilitated transfers of Qatari funds to Gaza, saying they were humanitarian and recommended by Mossad and Shin Bet. The remarks come as Qatar condemns the strike as a blatant violation of international law.
Key Facts
- Netanyahu said he attacked and bombed Qatar during the war, in an interview with i24NEWS shared on social media on Saturday.
- Israel's September 9, 2025 strike on Doha killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer during a meeting on the US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal.
- Netanyahu defended the transfer of millions of dollars in Qatari funds to Gaza, saying they were intended for humanitarian purposes and recommended by Israeli security agencies Mossad and Shin Bet.
- Qatar has hosted Hamas's political office since 2012, after what it says were requests from the US.
The Doha Strike
Netanyahu boasted about bombing Qatar in the interview, saying, "I attacked Qatar, I also bombed it and attacked them during the war, and they attacked me." The interview comes just days before the one-year anniversary of Israel's September 9, 2025 strike on Doha. The bombing killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer during a meeting to discuss the United States-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal. Qatar condemned the strike as a "blatant violation of all international laws and norms", with Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari calling it a "cowardly" assault. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the strikes a "flagrant violation" of Qatar's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Gaza Aid Transfers
Netanyahu defended the transfer of millions of dollars in Qatari funds to Gaza that Israel had facilitated, saying the funds were intended for humanitarian purposes. He said the transfers were made 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. Qatar denies such allegations, saying any claims that it funds Hamas are unfounded and pointing to the strict oversight governing its aid transfers.