Doha/Jerusalem, September 15, 2025: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday warned that Israel would pursue Hamas leaders “wherever they are,” as Arab and Islamic leaders convened an emergency summit in Doha to rally behind Qatar following last week’s Israeli strike on the Gulf state.
The September 9 attack, which targeted Hamas officials residing in Qatar, marked a sharp escalation in Israel’s regional operations. Hamas said five members were killed, including a son of its exiled Gaza chief, though the group’s leadership survived. Qatar confirmed one of its internal security officers was also killed.
Speaking alongside Netanyahu in Jerusalem, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered strong backing for Israel, despite Washington’s unease over the Doha strike. He said Hamas must release all remaining hostages and surrender, warning that “as much as we may wish for a diplomatic solution, we have to be prepared for the possibility that’s not going to happen.”
The U.S. later confirmed it was not informed in advance of the strike on Qatar, which hosts the largest American military base in the Middle East. Former President Donald Trump cautioned Israel to be “very, very careful,” while noting Qatar’s value as a U.S. ally.
At the Doha summit, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani condemned the Israeli strike as “cowardly and treacherous,” urging “practical and decisive steps” in response. He said the attack came as Hamas leaders were reviewing a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that “no Arab or Islamic country is safe from the attacks of the Zionist regime,” while Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Israel’s actions were “obstructing opportunities for peace and undermining existing agreements.” A draft summit resolution seen by Reuters said Israeli “hostile acts” threatened coexistence and the normalization process with Arab states.
Rubio, who will travel to Qatar next, urged Doha to continue its mediation role in Gaza, but his remarks with Netanyahu signaled growing U.S. alignment with Israel’s plan for a new military offensive aimed at eliminating Hamas. Netanyahu also hinted Israel could take retaliatory “unilateral actions,” including the possible annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, in response to moves by some countries to recognize a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly later this month.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City continued. Local authorities reported at least 16 Palestinians killed in attacks on two homes and a displacement camp. The army also destroyed Gaza’s tallest building, a 16-floor structure in western Gaza City, after issuing evacuation warnings, saying it concealed “terrorist infrastructure.”
The Gaza war, now nearing its second year, was triggered by the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Israel’s offensive since then has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, drawing international accusations of genocide.
