Netanyahu Denies Qatari Influence; Qatar Disputes Iran Over Missile Attacks

In an interview with Israel’s i24NEWS, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected claims that Qatar had influenced Israeli policy during the war in Gaza, calling it a “hostile state” but saying it had not dictated Israeli decisions.

“Qatar is a hostile state, but Qatar is not a state that dictated anything here,” Netanyahu said.

He also referred to Israel’s attack on Doha last year, saying: “I attacked Qatar — I also bombed it.”

The September 2025 strike targeted senior Hamas officials who were in Doha as part of negotiations over a US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal.

Six people were killed, including a member of Qatar’s security forces, while Hamas said its senior negotiating team survived. Qatar condemned the attack as a violation of its sovereignty.

Later that month, Netanyahu apologised to Qatar during a call with US President Donald Trump and the Qatari prime minister, saying Israel would not carry out such an attack again.

Netanyahu made the latest comments while defending his government over the transfer of Qatari money to Gaza before the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel.

He said the funds were intended for humanitarian purposes and that the transfers had been recommended by Israeli security agencies.

Qatar has repeatedly denied financing Hamas, saying its aid went to Palestinians in Gaza through mechanisms known to Israel and the United States.

There was no immediate public response from Doha to Netanyahu’s latest remarks.

Qatar pushes back against Iran over attacks

The comments came as Qatar and Iran disputed accounts of Iranian missile and drone attacks on Qatari territory.

On Friday, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari accused Tehran of selectively using a Qatari security document to support its claim that Iranian attacks had mainly targeted US military facilities.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei had cited a Qatari security assessment prepared for the International Telecommunication Union, saying it showed that Iranian strikes were directed at US military sites and did not target civilian areas.

Baghaei said the document showed that almost all attacks had been aimed at US facilities, with the exception of a strike on gas facilities at Ras Laffan in March. He alleged that the facilities struck there had been supporting US military operations against Iran.

Al Ansari rejected that interpretation, saying Iran was quoting the document out of context.

“If the Iranian side wishes to reference official documentation, we invite it to refer to the record formally submitted by the State of Qatar to the United Nations,” he said.

He pointed to Qatari submissions to the UN that documented Iranian missiles flying over civilian, commercial and residential areas and said previous attacks had caused damage and injuries.

Al Ansari also rejected Iran’s description of the Ras Laffan attack as “alleged," saying the strike had been formally documented by Qatar.

“The State of Qatar is not a party to this conflict,” he said, adding that attacks on Qatari territory and civilian infrastructure could not be justified as legitimate responses.

Qatar also sent letters to the UN Secretary-General and the president of the Security Council on Friday rejecting Iran’s legal justification for attacks that began on 28 February.

Doha said Tehran remained responsible under international law and that Qatar retained the right to defend itself and seek compensation for the damage.

Qatar has said it will continue diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions in the region.