Doha, September 15, 2025: Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Monday warned against Israel’s “expansionist vision” for the Arab region, denouncing last week’s deadly bombing of Doha as a “blatant, treacherous, and cowardly” assault.
Opening the emergency summit of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Sheikh Tamim said Israel’s September 9 attack targeted a residence housing the families of Hamas leaders and their negotiating delegation. Six people were killed in the strike.
“Our citizens were surprised, and the entire world was shocked by this cowardly terrorist act,” Sheikh Tamim said. “We are determined to do whatever is necessary to preserve our sovereignty and confront Israeli aggression.”
Doha, a close U.S. ally hosting the largest American military base in the region, has described the unprecedented strike as “state terrorism.” The attack came as Hamas leaders gathered to discuss a U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal. Hamas later said its top leadership survived the assassination attempt.
The Qatari emir accused Israel of deliberately undermining peace efforts. “Anyone who persistently and systematically targets a negotiating party is working to thwart the negotiations,” he said, adding that Israel aims to render Gaza uninhabitable and forcibly displace its population.
“The Israeli war on Gaza has turned into a war of extermination,” Sheikh Tamim said. “Israel wants to make Gaza uninhabitable as a prelude to displacing its population.”
Al Jazeera reported that summit participants expressed firm support for Qatar and condemned Israel for undermining regional security and stability.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) — including Israel’s closest ally, the United States — condemned the attack on Doha. Addressing the UNSC, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said Doha would not tolerate further breaches of its sovereignty.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, has vowed to strike Hamas leaders “wherever they are” unless Qatar expels them. The warning came during Netanyahu’s meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday.
The threats stand in contrast to U.S. President Donald Trump’s assurances to Sheikh Tamim last week that “such a thing will not happen again on their soil.” Washington has also said the Doha strike did not “advance Israel’s or America’s goals.” Rubio is scheduled to visit Qatar on Tuesday.
Sheikh Tamim further accused Israel of pursuing a “dangerous illusion” of turning the Arab world into an Israeli sphere of influence. He argued that Israel’s rejection of the Arab Peace Initiative — first endorsed in 2002 and reaffirmed in 2007 and 2017 — had fueled repeated cycles of conflict.
“If Israel had accepted the Arab Peace Initiative, it would have spared the entire region countless tragedies,” he said.
