Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a sharp warning to countries accused of sheltering Hamas leaders, drawing a direct comparison between the October 7 attacks in Israel and the September 11 attacks in the United States. His comments came shortly after Israel’s airstrike on Hamas headquarters in Doha.
Netanyahu said that any country offering refuge to Islamist militants should either expel them or bring them to justice—otherwise, Israel would act on its own. While he did not name Turkey, his message was widely seen as aimed at Ankara, where senior Hamas figures have long resided.
Qatar strongly rejected Netanyahu’s remarks, calling the Israeli strike on its capital a “shameless attempt to justify a cowardly attack.” Officials in Doha insisted Hamas’s presence there was part of mediation efforts requested by both the U.S. and Israel.
Referring to the U.S. response after 9/11, Netanyahu said Israel was acting on the same principle. “We did exactly what America did, pursuing terrorists wherever they were,” he declared, criticizing those who applauded the killing of Osama bin Laden but now condemn Israel.
U.S. President Donald Trump, despite initial concerns over the strike in a key Gulf ally’s capital, hosted former Hamas hostages and families of captives at the White House, demanding the group release all remaining prisoners and surrender its weapons.
Amid the escalating conflict in Gaza, Netanyahu also attended the groundbreaking of a seaside promenade south of Tel Aviv named after Donald Trump. Holding a trowel, he praised the former U.S. president as “Israel’s greatest friend in the White House.” The move follows Israel’s 2019 decision to name a settlement in the occupied Golan Heights “Trump Heights” in recognition of Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the Golan as Israeli territory.
