Qatar has accused Israel of sabotaging Gaza ceasefire negotiations after Israeli airstrikes targeted a meeting of Hamas political leaders in Doha on 9 September. The attack, carried out by Israeli F-35s without prior notification to the US, came just a day after Qatar had handed over a mediation proposal from President Donald Trump to Hamas’s political office. Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, said the region had become “hostage to two people – the former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Netanyahu”, adding: “One is dead and the other is still raining chaos.”
Qatar has long served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, hosting the group’s political leadership in Doha for over a decade. Its influence over Hamas is widely acknowledged, stemming from its role as an Israeli-endorsed mediator and a conduit for aid and cash to Gaza. However, the 9 September strikes strained relations, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordering Qatar to “stop harbouring terrorists” and threatening to “bring them to justice” if Doha did not expel them.
In the aftermath, US President Donald Trump forced Netanyahu into a humiliating apology. The Israeli premier was required to call Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani from the Oval Office and read a scripted apology jointly dictated by the US and Qatar. A senior Qatari official was present to ensure Netanyahu adhered to the text. The incident led to the establishment of a formal trilateral mechanism between Israel, Qatar, and the US, described as “the beginning of dialogue to enhance mutual security, correct misperceptions and avoid future misgivings”.
Qatar’s role in the ceasefire agreement, signed on 29 July in New York, has been central. The Gulf state, along with other Arab nations, agreed to the principle of Hamas ending its rule in Gaza and handing over weapons to the Palestinian Authority. It also condemned the 7 October attacks by Hamas against civilians, aligning its position more closely with Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Domestically, Qatar has introduced editorial changes at Al Jazeera, the state-owned media network, to present a more nuanced portrayal of Hamas.
The ceasefire talks were ultimately unlocked by personal undertakings from Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, who assured Qatar that Trump would ensure Netanyahu did not resume the war. Trump’s message to the Knesset on Monday was that Israel had achieved as much as it could through force of arms. Netanyahu, still politically damaged by the failed Doha strike, had little choice but to accept the verdict.
