Tel Aviv/Jerusalem, September 14, 2025: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that removing Hamas leaders based in Qatar — whom Israel unsuccessfully targeted in a rare air strike on Doha earlier this week — would clear the biggest obstacle to ending the Gaza war.
However, Israel’s Hostages and Missing Families Forum accused Netanyahu himself of sabotaging prospects for a ceasefire and the release of captives held in Gaza.
The Israeli strike in Doha, strongly condemned by Qatar, came as Hamas leaders met to discuss a new ceasefire plan proposed by the Trump administration. Hamas said five of its members, including the son of exiled Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya, were killed in the attack, while senior negotiators survived. Qatar confirmed that one of its internal security officers was also killed.
“The Hamas terrorist chiefs living in Qatar don’t care about the people in Gaza. They blocked all ceasefire attempts in order to endlessly drag out the war,” Netanyahu wrote on X.
But the Hostages Forum, which represents families of captives, countered that the prime minister was the true obstacle. “The targeted operation in Qatar proved beyond any doubt that there is one obstacle to returning the hostages and ending the war: Prime Minister Netanyahu. Every time a deal approaches, Netanyahu sabotages it,” the group said.
Hamas also described the strike as an Israeli attempt to derail negotiations, vowing not to change its terms: it will only release all hostages as part of an agreement that ends the war and recognizes a Palestinian state. Israel insists Hamas must first disarm and free the captives.
War toll and international scrutiny
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, Israeli bombardments since October 2023 have killed at least 62,686 people and wounded 157,951. The latest figures include 2,095 aid seekers killed since the establishment of the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Facility (GHF) in May, with more than 15,431 injured.
Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges. Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The ceasefire proposal currently under discussion includes a pause in hostilities, expanded humanitarian aid, and a framework for prisoner exchanges. Despite this, Israel has escalated its military operations in Gaza City, saying it is determined to free the remaining hostages seized during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack — the deadliest in the history of the conflict.
