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RIYADH: Qatar denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks about Doha’s hosting of a Hamas office as “reckless” and a “shameful attempt” to justify Israel’s “cowardly attack” on Qatari territory.

“Netanyahu is fully aware that the hosting of the Hamas office took place within the framework of Qatar’s mediation efforts requested by the United States and Israel,” Qatar said in a strongly worded statement issued by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He made the remark as Israel came under international condemnation after launching an air strike Tuesday on a building in Qatar in a bid to assassinate Hamas political leaders. 

The airstrike took place shortly after Hamas claimed responsibility for a shooting on Monday that killed six people at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem.  

On Wednesday, Netanyahu urged Qatar to expel Hamas officials or hold them to account, “because if you don’t, we will”.

His comments came a day after deadly strikes targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar — a US ally — a first in the oil-rich Gulf that rattled a region long shielded from conflict.

Qatar, which said one of its security forces was killed in the attack, said Israel was treacherous and engaged in “state terrorism.”

Also on Wednesday, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the attack killed hope for Gaza hostages, calling for Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to be “brought to justice.”

World must act

The Qatari statement called on the international community to “shoulder its responsibility by rejecting Netanyahu’s Islamophobic and inciteful rhetoric” and to put “an end to political distortions that undermine mediation efforts and obstruct the pursuit of peace.”

In rejecting Netanyahu’s rhetoric, Qatar pointed out that the Israeli leader was fully aware of the Gulf nation’s role in facilitating numerous exchanges and ceasefires, which have “brought relief to Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages in desperate need of basic humanitarian relief from the ruthlessness that has ensued since October 7th.”

It said the negotiations were always held in an official and transparent manner, with international support and in the presence of US and Israeli delegations. 

“Netanyahu’s insinuation that Qatar secretly harbored the Hamas delegation is a desperate attempt to justify a crime condemned by the entire world,” the statement said.

“The false comparison to the pursuit of al-Qaeda after the terrorist attacks is a new, miserable justification for its treacherous practices. There was no international mediation involving an al-Qaeda negotiating delegation, with which the United States could engage with international support, to bring peace to the region at the time,” it added.