Netanyahu’s actions ‘reckless and irresponsible’: Qatar
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Qatar has hit back at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s justification for an air strike in the Gulf country, describing his remarks as reckless and desperate.
The strongly worded statement came more than a day after Israel attempted to kill Hamas political leaders in the air strike on Qatar, escalating its military campaign in the Middle East and prompting a flurry of international condemnations.
Netanyahu warned Qatar to either expel Hamas officials or “bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will.” He also accused Qatar of providing safe haven and financing to Hamas, drawing a sharp rebuke from Doha.
Qatar’s foreign ministry condemned what it described as Netanyahu’s “explicit threats of future violations of state sovereignty”.
“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 added.
“The negotiations were always held in an official and transparent manner, with international support and in the presence of US and Israeli delegations. Netanyahu’s insinuation that Qatar secretly harboured the Hamas delegation is a desperate attempt to justify a crime condemned by the entire world.”
“We will work with our partners to ensure Netanyahu is held accountable and that his reckless and irresponsible actions are brought to an end,” the foreign ministry said.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has said there will be a regional response to Israel’s attack, with plans for a summit in Doha.
The air strike took place shortly after Hamas claimed responsibility for a shooting on Monday that killed six people at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the attack, said about 10 planes participated in the mission and dropped about 10 missiles.
The Israeli ambassador to the United States said after the operation that if the air strike failed to kill Hamas leaders, it would succeed next time.
Hamas said five of its members were killed in the Doha attack, including the son of its exiled Gaza Strip chief and top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya.
It said its top leaders survived.
The attack generated a flurry of diplomacy between Arab countries.
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Qatar on Wednesday, UAE state news agency WAM reported.
Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein is also expected to visit Qatar on Wednesday while Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to arrive in Doha on Thursday, an official with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The visits were a show of regional solidarity with Qatar following the Israeli strikes, the official said.
The European Commission will propose sanctioning ultranationalist Israeli ministers and the suspension of trade-related measures in a European Union agreement with Israel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
The Doha air strike followed an Israeli warning to Palestinians to leave Gaza City, an area once home to about a million people, as it tries to destroy what is left of Hamas.
Residents there expressed alarm the Doha strike might destroy chances for a ceasefire.
Families, some carrying their belongings on vehicles, donkey carts and rickshaws, continued to stream out of Gaza City along the coastal road in anticipation of a major Israeli offensive.
Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades but now controls only parts of the enclave, on Saturday once again said that it would release all hostages if Israel agreed to end the war and withdraw its forces from the strip.
Netanyahu is pushing for an all-or-nothing deal that would release all the hostages at once and have Hamas surrender.
with AP
Reuters
