The Israeli prime minister’s statements are a “shameful” bid to justify the Jewish state’s missile strike on Doha, the country’s foreign ministry has said
Qatar has condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his “reckless” comparison of West Jerusalem’s missile attack on its capital Doha with the US response to the 9/11 atrocity.
Speaking in English on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary, Netanyahu cited America’s pursuit of al Qaeda to justify the missiles strike on Doha. Governments “cannot harbor terrorists,” he claimed, adding: “Yesterday, we acted along those lines. We went after the terrorist masterminds who committed the October 7th massacre.”
Qatar’s foreign ministry said Netanyahu’s remarks were a “shameful attempt” to justify Tuesday’s missile strike which killed several Hamas officials and a Qatari security guard, sent plumes of smoke over the capital and triggered panic among residents.
Qatar has played a central mediating role between Hamas and Israel since the Gaza war began.
“Netanyahu is fully aware that the hosting of the Hamas office took place within the framework of Qatar’s mediation efforts requested by the United States and Israel,” the ministry said.
Netanyahu made a “false comparison” and offered a “miserable justification” for Israel’s “treacherous practices,” it added, claiming that unlike with Hamas, there had been “no international mediation involving an al-Qaeda negotiating delegation” with which Washington could engage “to bring peace to the region.”
Russia also condemned Israel’s strike on Doha as a violation of international law and the UN Charter, saying it undermines efforts to reach a peaceful settlement. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday the attack showed Israel’s “unwillingness to end the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza and displayed “particular cynicism” given Qatar’s role as a key mediator.
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