Israel’s attack on Doha threatens ceasefire negotiations, analysts say
The attack on Hamas in Qatar threatens to upend Gaza ceasefire talks, analysts at The Soufan Centre, a New York-based think tank, have said.
“The attack has profound strategic implications because by striking a Gulf Cooperation Council state, Israel risks undermining the Abraham Accords and unravelling the fragile normalisation framework with Arab partners,” they said, referring to the 2020 diplomatic recognition deal between Israel and the UAE, which neighbours Qatar.
“Israel’s strike on Qatar raises the uncomfortable question: if a state like Qatar, with its carefully cultivated neutrality and commitment to peace-making, is punished for its role, who will dare step into the vacuum of mediation in the future?”
Taz Ali10 September 2025 14:50
Starmer reiterates condemnation of Israel’s strike in Qatar
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated his condemnation of Israel’s strike on Doha.
“They violate Qatar’s sovereignty; they do nothing to secure the peace that the UK and so many of our allies are committed to,” he said during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
He said he spoke to the Qatari emir “soon after the attack, to convey our support and solidarity”.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in the Commons on Wednesday (House of Commons/UK Parliament)
Taz Ali10 September 2025 14:30
Picture: UAE president meets Emir of Qatar
UAE president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan meets with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Doha on Wednesday (via Reuters)
Taz Ali10 September 2025 14:10
Growing global recognition of Palestinian statehood undermined US efforts to release Israeli-held funds, envoy says
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, claimed the global push to recognise a Palestinian state led to the collapse of US efforts to persuade Israel to release much-needed funds to the Palestinian Authority.
“I felt like we were making progress. We weren’t quite there yet, but we were talking, and there was progress, and there was understanding of the importance of getting it resolved,” he told Reuters.
According to the Palestinian Authority, which has limited control in the occupied West Bank, Israel is withholding around $3bn (£2.2bn) in revenues. Under a longstanding arrangement, Israel collects customs and import taxes on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.
Taz Ali10 September 2025 13:50
Israel deliberately targeted Hamas in Qatar as they blocked Gaza ceasefire, president says
Isaac Herzog insisted the targeting of Hamas in Doha was because its negotiators refused to work towards a deal with Gaza.
World affairs editor Sam Kiley reports
Taz Ali10 September 2025 13:30
Rights groups file case in Germany against soldier over suspected Gaza war crimes
Human rights lawyers say they have filed a lawsuit in Germany against an Israeli soldier suspected of being involved in the targeted killing of unarmed Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
The European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) and three Palestinian human rights organisations said they filed a criminal complaint with Germany’s federal prosecutor against a sniper in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
ECCHR said the 25-year-old soldier was born and raised in Munich and had a registered residence in Germany until recently, but could not confirm that the man had dual citizenship.
The soldier allegedly belonged to the so-called “Ghost Unit” of the 202nd Paratroopers Battalion, which the ECCHR says it has evidence indicating that its members have deliberately killed civilians in Gaza.
Taz Ali10 September 2025 13:10
Qatar says it will launch legal proceedings against Israel over Doha attack
Qatar announced it has formed a legal team to prepare a response to Israel’s attack on Doha.
“His Excellency revealed that a legal team has been formed… to initiate all legal proceedings against what he described as a rogue act,” Qatar’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement on Wednesday, referring to remarks made by the Qatari prime minister.
It added: “His Excellency pointed out that the attack not only violated international law but also ethical and humanitarian standards, particularly as Qatar was officially hosting negotiations with US involvement and Israeli awareness.
“He described it as an act of treachery, noting that such behaviour reflects [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s disregard for regional stability in pursuit of personal ambitions.”
Taz Ali10 September 2025 12:50
Picture: Keir Starmer speaks with Emir of Qatar
Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, from his office in 10 Downing Street on Tuesday (Simon Dawson/No 10 Downing Street)
Taz Ali10 September 2025 12:30
Will Qatar regret gifting $400m ‘palace in the sky’ jet to Trump after Israel’s attack in Doha?
The outreach programme culminated with the president visiting in May and accepting a $400m luxury Boeing jumbo jet as a stand-in for Air Force One after complaining about the length of time it was taking the US aircraft giant to build replacements commissioned under Barack Obama in 2015. The plane is so lavish it has been dubbed the ‘palace in the sky’.
Taz Ali10 September 2025 12:10
Qatar PM says country ‘has right to respond’ to Israel’s attack
The Qatari prime minister said his country reserves the right to respond to Israel’s “blatant attack” on Doha.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani described Tuesday’s strike against Hamas political leaders in the Qatari capital as “state terrorism”, saying it was an “attempt to destabilise regional security and stability”.
“Qatar… reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack,” he told a late night press conference.
“This attack, which is state terrorism practiced by a person like [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, is a message to the entire region that there is a rogue player in the region.
“Netanyahu declared that he would reshape the Middle East, will he also reshape the Gulf?… the response must come from the entire region to confront the barbarism of this man who is leading the region to a point beyond repair.”
The Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said his country has the right to respond to Israel’s strike (AP)
Taz Ali10 September 2025 11:50
