WASHINGTON: Netanyahu on Monday apologized to Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for a military strike targeting Hamas officials in the emirate that infuriated Arab leaders and triggered rare condemnation by the US of Israel, according to two people, including a diplomatic official, familiar with the matter. Netanyahu called al Thani to extend the apology during his White House meeting on Monday with President Donald Trump. The people familiar spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. President Donald Trump was hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for critical talks aimed at ending the war in Gaza and developing a US plan on post-war governance in the war-battered Palestinian territory. The White House talks between Netanyahu and Trump come at a tenuous moment. Israel is increasingly isolated, losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies. At home, Netanyahu&rsquo;s governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience. The question now is whether Trump, who has offered steadfast backing to Netanyahu throughout the war, will change his tone and turn up the pressure on Israel to wind down the conflict. As he welcomed Netanyahu to the White House, Trump responded affirmatively when asked by reporters whether he was confident a deal would be soon reached to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas. &ldquo;I am. I&#39;m very confident,&rdquo; Trump said. White House urges Israel and Hamas to get to a ceasefire and hostage release deal Earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt urged both sides to finalize an agreement to bring an end to the nearly two-year old war in Gaza. &ldquo;Ultimately the president knows when you get to a good deal, both sides are going to leave a little bit unhappy,&rdquo; Leavitt told reporters. &ldquo;But we need this conflict to end.&rdquo; Trump and Netanyahu are first holding talks with aides in the Oval Office and over a private lunch. A joint press conference is expected later. Meanwhile, Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, said Palestinian officials stood ready to work with Trump and Arab countries in bringing an end to the war. &ldquo;Let us not delay a single minute more in doing what is necessary for this just peace to replace the unbearable reality of today,&rdquo; Mansour said during a Security Council meeting on the Middle East. Trump growing more frustrated with conflict Trump joined forces with Netanyahu during Israel&#39;s brief war with Iran in June, ordering US stealth bombers to strike three nuclear sites, and he&#39;s supported the Israeli leader during his corruption trial, describing the case as a &ldquo;witch hunt.&rdquo; But the relationship has become more tense lately. Trump was frustrated by Israel&#39;s failed strike this month on Hamas officials in Qatar, a&nbsp;US ally in the region that had been hosting negotiations to end the war in Gaza. Last week, Trump vowed to prevent Israel from annexing the West Bank &mdash; an idea promoted by some of Netanyahu&#39;s hard-line governing partners. The international community opposes annexation, saying it would destroy hopes for a two-state solution. On Friday, Trump raised expectations for the meeting with Netanyahu, telling reporters the US was &ldquo;very close to a deal on Gaza.&rdquo; Trump made finding quick ends to the Gaza war, as well as Russia&#39;s invasion of Ukraine, a central plank of his successful 2024 presidential campaign. He&#39;s struggled mightily on both fronts. Proposal does not include expulsion of Palestinians Trump&rsquo;s proposal to stop the war in Gaza calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages within 48 hours and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave, according to three Arab officials briefed on the plan. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan has not been formally unveiled. Hamas is believed to be holding 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed by Israel to be alive. The militant group has demanded Israel agree to end the war and withdraw from all of Gaza as part of any permanent ceasefire. Trump discussed the plan with Arab and Islamic leaders in New York last week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. It doesn&rsquo;t include the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, which Trump appeared to endorse earlier this year. The 21-point proposal also calls for an end to Hamas rule of Gaza and the disarmament of the militant group, said the officials briefed on the plan. Hundreds of Palestinians, including many serving life sentences, will be released by Israel, according to the proposal. The plan also includes the establishment of an international security force to take over law enforcement in postwar Gaza, they said. A Palestinian committee of technocrats would oversee the civilian affairs of the strip, with power handed over later to a reformed Palestinian Authority, they said. Netanyahu has rejected any role for the authority, the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinians, in postwar Gaza. A Hamas official said the group was briefed on the plan but has yet to receive an official offer from Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The group has repeatedly rejected laying down arms and has linked its weapons to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Israel has lost much of the world&#39;s goodwill Apart from the US leadership, Israel has lost much of the international goodwill it once could count on. At a special session of the UN Security Council last week, nation after nation expressed horror at the 2023 attack by Hamas militants that killed about 1,200 people in Israel, saw 251 taken hostage and triggered the war. Then many of the representatives went on to criticize the response by Israel and call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and influx of aid. Israel&rsquo;s sweeping offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run administration. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate by the UN and many independent experts. The fighting has displaced 90% of the Gaza population, with an increasing number now starving. In recent weeks, 28 Western-aligned countries that circled behind Israel two years ago have called on it to end the offensive in Gaza. They also criticized Israel&rsquo;s restrictions on humanitarian aid, which have contributed to famine in parts of Gaza. Ten countries &mdash; including Britain, France, Canada and Australia &mdash; recognized Palestinian statehood last week, hoping to revive the long-moribund peace process. Several Arab states, including some with longstanding relations with Israel, have accused it of committing genocide in Gaza, as have leading genocide scholars, U.N. experts and some Israeli and international rights groups. The UN&rsquo;s highest court is weighing genocide allegations raised by South Africa that Israel vehemently denies

President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the West Wing of the White House, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP)

Middle East

Asia

Netanyahu apologized to Qatar for strikes targeting Hamas during a meeting with Trump on Gaza peace talks amid growing US pressure. Trump has proposed a ceasefire, hostage release, and postwar governance plan for Gaza.

Netanyahu apologizes to Qatar PM for strike in Trump-led call

UNITED NATIONS: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Oman &mdash; all nations in the thick of the unrest that has pervaded the Middle East &mdash; confronted the crisis in the region at the annual UN gathering of world leaders, with Egypt&rsquo;s top diplomat warning that the Mideast &ldquo;is at a point of implosion.&rdquo; All four countries on Saturday decried Israel&rsquo;s ongoing pursuit of war in Gaza and the horrific impact on Palestinian civilians &ndash; and they bemoaned the failure of the United Nations and the broader international community to achieve a ceasefire and end the bloodshed. The four ministers spoke a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu &mdash; facing protesters, critics and growing global isolation over his Gaza policies &mdash; told the General Assembly his country &ldquo;must finish the job&rdquo; against Hamas for its October 7, 2023, surprise attack in southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. Hamas also took 250 hostages. Israeli forces recently launched an offensive to take control of Gaza City. Here&#39;s a country-by-country look at those four leaders&#39; takes from the U.N. podium on the overall Mideast situation and Gaza in particular. Egypt Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, whose country has been a key mediator in Gaza along with the United States and Qatar, sharply criticized the international community &ldquo;standing idly by as a spectator&rdquo; while international law is systematically violated in Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East. Israel&rsquo;s &ldquo;wanton, unjust war waged against defenseless civilians for a sin they did not commit&rdquo; is &ldquo;transpiring without accountability, and it has affected one country after another,&rdquo; he said. Abdelatty recalled former president Anwar Sadat&rsquo;s historic visit to Israel in 1977, and Egypt becoming &ldquo;one of the first to anchor the pillar of peace in the region.&rdquo; But surveying the turmoiul in the Mideast today, he accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza &ndash; which it vehemently denies &ndash; and blocking the Palestinians&#39; fron establishing an independent state. Abdelatty said Israel can&rsquo;t be secure unless other countries in the region are secure, and &ldquo;the region cannot see stability without an independent state of Palestine.&rdquo; In the region, he pointed to civil war in Sudan, the need for elections in divided Libya, resolving Yemen&rsquo;s crisis between the internationally recognized government and Houthi rebels who control the capital and most of the north, and ending repeated Israeli violations of Lebanese and Syrian territory. Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, whose country hosts Russia-Ukraine-U.S. peace talks, said the suffering of Palestinians and unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza make it imperative for the international community to end the war in Gaza and achieve peace through a two-state solution. A two-state solution to the nearly 80-year Israeli-Palestinian conflict is &ldquo;the only path that would guarantee the security of all countries in the region,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The failure of the international community to take firm actions to end the Israeli aggression and violation will only cause further instability and insecurity regionally and globally&rdquo; and &ldquo;will have grave consequences and will escalate war crimes and acts of genocide.&rdquo; <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/0549e94d-2407-498a-bd60-3e35d46a3023-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at UN headquarters. (AP).jpg" alt="Minister for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at UN headquarters. (AP)" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Minister for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal bin Farhan addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at UN headquarters. (AP)</figcaption></figure> Farhan said Saudi Arabia, along with Norway and the European Union, launched an international coalition to implement the two-state solution, and it co-sponsored Monday&rsquo;s high-level meeting with France that saw at least 10 countries officially recognize the state of Palestine, bringing the total to near 160 recognitions. &ldquo;Such recognition is an important step towards achieving the two-state solution and bolstering the path towards a just and lasting peace,&rdquo; he said. Farhan condemned Israel&rsquo;s recent attack on Qatar. He also called for &ldquo;international measures&rdquo; to stop Israel&rsquo;s actions, &ldquo;and to deter it from such criminal behavior that threatens regional security and stability.&rdquo; Oman Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi, whose country has mediated U.S.-Iran talks, called on the international community &ldquo;to apply effective pressure to bring Israel to the negotiating table&rdquo; &mdash; and to adopt measures limiting its ability to continue its killings, destruction, occupation and policies &ldquo;of starvation and blockade against the Palestinian people.&rdquo; He condemned Israeli aggression against Iran, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon and called for sanctions against Israel in response to its violation of international law and &ldquo;unlawful encroachment&rdquo; on the sovereignty of states. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/a84161b8-7fe9-4683-9dd6-360e6e4e2edb-Oman Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at UN headquarters. (AP).jpg" alt="Oman Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at UN headquarters. (AP)" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Oman Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at UN headquarters. (AP)</figcaption></figure> &quot;We call for a global peaceful campaign to lift the blockade and undo the injustice imposed on the Palestinian people and to secure their freedom through the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state,&quot; al-Busaidi said. United Arab Emirates Calling it &ldquo;a pivotal moment&rdquo; in a world engulfed in turmoil and conflict, the United Arab Emirates&rsquo; deputy foreign minister Lana Nusseibeh said there is no justification for Hamas taking hostages or for Israel targeting &ldquo;tens of thousands of civilians or besieging them or starving them and forcibly displacing them.&rdquo; Israel&rsquo;s &ldquo;unacceptable, expansionist ambitions including the threat of annexing the West Bank&rdquo; are also inexcusable, she said. Nusseibeh urged all countries to recognize the state of Palestine &ldquo;as an investment in a better future for the region.&rdquo; <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/a4230280-a749-490e-99d5-33ee213df514-Minister for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Lana Nusseibeh addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at UN headquarters. (AP).jpg" alt="Minister for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Lana Nusseibeh addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at UN headquarters. (AP)" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Minister for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Lana Nusseibeh addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at UN headquarters. (AP)</figcaption></figure> The UAE has tried to bridge divides elsewhere in the conflict-torn world, she said, pointing to its role in the exchange of thousands of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine, hosting peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and helping to de-escalate tensions in south Asia and beyond. &ldquo;Our aim is not simply to manage conflicts, but to resolve them sustainably,&rdquo; Nusseibeh told the assembly. &ldquo;The urgent need for this approach is clear around the world, whether in the Gaza Strip, Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, Libya or the Sahel.&rdquo; Many crises have been exacerbated by extremist ideologies, hate speech and incitement, which is why the UAE is promoting an agenda of tolerance, peace and security, she said. The UAE is also the largest donor of aid to Gaza, she said.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates of Egypt addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at UN headquarters. (AP)

Americas

At the UN, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza, called for a ceasefire, supported a two-state solution, and urged international pressure to resolve Middle East conflicts peacefully.

Middle East nations face regional turmoil as Egypt warns of imminent collapse

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said &quot;the Muslim world must move beyond words,&quot;&nbsp;hinting at joining forces if a Middle East coalition is formed to counter Israeli aggression. &quot;Pakistan has a very large, known, very effective army, very effective air force, very effective navy &hellip; We have proved that we can beat [our opponent] even conventionally, if challenged,&quot;&nbsp;Ishaq Dar said during an interview with Al Jazeera, when asked how Pakistan might respond if a united Middle Eastern body were formed to counter Israeli aggression.&nbsp;The interview, recorded ahead of the recently concluded Arab-Islamic summit, following Israel&rsquo;s strikes in Qatar and published late Monday night, featured Dar sharing his views about a possible Muslim coalition against Israel&rsquo;s aggression.&nbsp;Asked if the formation of a united body in the Middle East, away from the United Nations&#39; structure, to intervene in Gaza was an option, Dar said, &ldquo;vis-&agrave;-vis the UN Security Council, a mechanism could be chalked out.&rdquo;&nbsp;<div style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; line-height: 2;" id="isPasted">He stated that the UNSC can impose severe economic sanctions.&nbsp;It can cause a &quot;very severe economic dent or pain,&quot; he added.</div>&nbsp;&ldquo;There has been some talk of a &lsquo;combined security force&rsquo; among Arab nations and the Arab League,&rdquo; Dar revealed. &ldquo;Why not? They should form a force, not for aggression, but for peacekeeping and for stopping the aggressor, the occupier, the one who doesn&rsquo;t listen,&rdquo; Dar said.&nbsp;Asked where the nuclear-powered Pakistan would stand in such a scenario, Dar said Pakistan&rsquo;s nuclear arsenal is intended only as a deterrent, not a weapon of first use.&nbsp;&nbsp;The UN has failed to maintain peace Earlier in the interview, Dar also addressed Israel&rsquo;s recent strike in Qatar that targeted Hamas leaders in Doha. He called the attack &ldquo;baseless&rdquo; and &ldquo;rogue,&rdquo; stressing that Qatar was mediating peace efforts alongside the US and Egypt at the time.&nbsp;He pointed to a broader pattern of Israel striking various Middle Eastern countries and ignoring international norms. &ldquo;International law, humanitarian rules, OIC and UN resolutions seem not to affect one country that repeatedly acts however it wants.&rdquo;&nbsp;Dar argued this underscores the urgent need for UN reform. &ldquo;The UN Security Council is supposed to maintain peace. But if its resolutions are being discarded by Israel in Gaza and Palestine, and by India in Kashmir, what do we expect from the multilateral system?&rdquo; &nbsp;&ldquo;This is the need of the hour,&rdquo; Dar emphasized, hinting at legal, diplomatic, and financial measures that Islamic countries may collectively consider.

Pakistani foreign minister says that while the UNSC can impose serious economic sanctions, it has largely failed to deter aggressor nations like Israel.

Pakistan ready to act if Muslim coalition is formed against Israel: Dar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran called for increased cooperation among Arab and Muslim states following Israel&rsquo;s recent airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar. Pakistan proposed the formation of a joint task force, while Iran called for the establishment of &ldquo;joint operations rooms&rdquo; to counter escalating Israeli aggression. Their proposals come ahead of an emergency Arab-Islamic summit scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m. in Doha (8 p.m. PKT). Nearly 60 Arab and Islamic countries will convene to condemn the Israeli aggression and show solidarity with Qatar. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1967287260388471097&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=3bf6bc7387a33991ee425fbbd28c925568bbe357&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1967287260388471097"></iframe></div></div> Israeli strikes on DohaThe summit was convened in response to Israel&rsquo;s airstrikes on September 9, which targeted Hamas leaders attending ceasefire talks in Doha. The attack resulted in the deaths of five Hamas members, including the son of a senior leader, as well as a Qatari security officer. Several civilians were also injured. The attack was widely condemned across the Muslim world as a violation of Qatar&rsquo;s sovereignty and an infringement of international law. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Thani strongly denounced the strike as an act of &ldquo;state terrorism.&rdquo; He accused Israel of seeking to uproot Palestinians from their own homeland. He called on the international community to end double standards and hold the Israeli regime accountable for what he described as genocidal wars. Pakistan proposes a joint task forcePakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the Israeli airstrike as illegal and in violation of the United Nations Charter and international laws. He proposed the establishment of a joint Arab-Islamic task force charged with monitoring Israeli intentions and coordinating both deterrent and offensive actions. Dar described the attack on Qatar, a sovereign state engaged in ceasefire negotiations, as an assault on diplomacy itself. He called for an immediate ceasefire, a prisoner exchange, and the establishment of a two-state solution. The Pakistani deputy PM demanded that Israel be held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Pakistan, alongside Algeria and Somalia, also raised the issue with the U.N. Security Council and Human Rights Council, advocating for practical measures including the deployment of an international peacekeeping force in Gaza. Iran calls for &#39;joint operations rooms&#39;The Secretary of Iran&rsquo;s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, sharply criticized Muslim states over perceived inaction regarding the Gaza conflict. In a statement shared via social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he called for, &ldquo;at the very least, establishing a &lsquo;joint operations room&rsquo; against the madness of this entity,&rdquo; referring to Israel. Larijani warned that conferences filled only with rhetoric but lacking tangible outcomes invite further Israeli aggression. He urged Muslim states to unite in practical, coordinated resistance, asserting that such a move could destabilize the Israeli regime and compel change. Summit draft resolutionA draft resolution from the summit described the Israeli strike as a destabilizing escalation. It accused Israel of carrying out genocidal acts, ethnic cleansing, and colonial expansion that threaten peace prospects and normalization agreements in the region, such as the Abraham Accords, signed five years ago to normalize relations between Israel and several Gulf states. Convening of the Preparatory Ministerial Meeting for the Joint Arab-Islamic Emergency Summit in Doha to Discuss the Israeli Attack on the State of Qatar, image courtesy: <a data-fr-linked="true" href="//OIC.com" style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">OIC.com</a> Despite strong condemnation from the Arab-Islamic world, Israel maintained a defiant stance. On the day Arab ministers convened in Doha, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem.&nbsp; Rubio&rsquo;s visit aimed to &lsquo;clarify&rsquo; Israel&rsquo;s strategy regarding Gaza, the ongoing hostage situation, and humanitarian plans amid lingering tensions caused by the unauthorized airstrike in Qatar. Ongoing attacks in Gaza and the West BankMeanwhile, Gaza continues to endure heavy bombardment. Recent Israeli airstrikes have destroyed multiple high-rise buildings, forcing evacuations of civilians with often little notice. Palestinian health officials report that over 64,000 Palestinians have died since the conflict escalated, including over 18,000 children. Several international media outlets have also reported an uptick in attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020, warned against annexation plans in the West Bank. It described such moves as a &ldquo;red line&rdquo; threatening hopes for peace. While the Arab-Islamic summit is expected to adopt a joint resolution condemning Israel&rsquo;s strike, it currently does not include sanctions or punitive measure.

Arab-Islamic Summit: Pakistan calls for joint task force, Iran urges ‘operations rooms’ against Israel, image courtesy: OIC

Arab-Islamic Summit: Iran, Pakistan propose concrete measures against Israel 

WASHINGTON: Days after Israel attacked Qatar in an airstrike targeting Hamas leaders, U.S. President Donald Trump made careful remarks Sunday as Washington&#39;s two powerful Middle Eastern allies face a worsening rift.&nbsp;&quot;Qatar has been a very great ally. Israel and everyone else, we have to be careful. When we attack people, we have to be careful,&quot; Trump told reporters.&nbsp;Trump initially rebuked Israel over Tuesday&#39;s unprecedented strike on Doha, where negotiators from Israel and Hamas have been working to end the war in Gaza.&nbsp;The attack has prompted Arab and Muslim leaders -- including Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas -- to gather for a show of solidarity in Doha, where Qatar&#39;s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani urged the world to &quot;stop using double standards&quot; and hold Israel to account.&nbsp;Israel&#39;s strike on the Gulf country&#39;s capital killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer.&nbsp;Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the region.

Europe

Israel's airstrike on Doha last week killed 6; Trump urges caution as tensions rise between key US allies Israel and Qatar over Hamas peace talks.

Trump cautions Israel after Qatar attack

ISLAMABAD: U.S. President Donald Trump had a heated phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his military targeted Hamas inside Qatar, international media reported Thursday.&nbsp;In a phone call on Tuesday, the American president told Netanyahu that the decision to strike inside the U.S. ally&#39;s territory was not wise, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing senior administration officials.&nbsp;The Israeli prime minister responded by saying he had a brief window to launch the airstrike and took the opportunity, according to the newspaper.&nbsp;Anger over Israeli strikes on QatarA second call between the two leaders later that day was cordial, with Trump asking Netanyahu if the attack had been successful, the publication added.&nbsp;Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of the Islamist group Hamas with the attack in the Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday.&nbsp;Hamas has said its top leaders survived the airstrike, but five members were killed, including the son of its exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator Khalil al Hayya.&nbsp;The Israeli military operation in Doha has been widely condemned internationally and was particularly sensitive as Qatar has been hosting and mediating in negotiations which are trying to bring about a ceasefire in the war in Gaza.&nbsp;&quot;Expel Hamas,&quot; Netanyahu demandsOn Wednesday, Netanyahu warned Qatar to either expel Hamas officials or &quot;bring them to justice. Because if you don&#39;t, we will&quot;.&nbsp;Qatar has hit back at him, saying his comments about the Gulf nation hosting a Hamas office were &quot;reckless&quot;.&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, has said that if Israel failed to kill Hamas leaders on Tuesday, it would succeed next time.&nbsp;&quot;We have put terrorists on notice, wherever they may be... we&#39;re going to pursue them, and we&#39;re going to destroy those who will destroy us,&quot; he said. PM Shehbaz departs on solidarity visit to QatarIn a separate development, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed on a day-long visit to Qatar on Thursday, in a gesture of solidarity and regional unity following the recent Israeli airstrikes that targeted residential areas in Doha, the Foreign Office said. During the visit, the prime minister is scheduled to meet with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to convey Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;deepest sympathies and support&rdquo; for the Qatari leadership and people, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;He is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar.&nbsp;&ldquo;The visit underscores Pakistan&rsquo;s unwavering support for the security and sovereignty of Qatar, and its continued commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East,&rdquo; the statement added.

Trump rebuked Netanyahu over Israel's airstrike in Qatar; global leaders condemn the strike as a violation of sovereignty and threat to regional peace.

Trump 'rebukes' Netanyahu over Qatar strike: Report

Reuters

DOHA: Qatar&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed Al Ansari on Tuesday said the U.S. warning of Israeli bombardment in Doha came &ldquo;during the sound of explosions.&rdquo; &ldquo;The statements being circulated about Qatar being informed of the attack in advance are baseless,&rdquo; Ansari said in a <a href="https://x.com/majedalansari/status/1965484361727574198" style="font-size: 14px;">post on X</a>. The statement comes a day after Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Qatar, escalating its military action in the Middle East with what the United States described as a unilateral attack that does not advance American and Israeli interests. Qatar &lsquo;reserves the right to retaliate&rsquo;Meanwhile, Qatar&#39;s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told has warned that his country reserves the right to retaliate to Israel&#39;s &ldquo;blatant attack&rdquo; in Doha, calling it a &quot;pivotal moment&quot; for Middle East and seeking &quot;response from the entire region.&quot;&nbsp;&ldquo;Qatar... reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack,&rdquo; Al-Thani told a press conference late on Tuesday. He said Israel used weapons that were not detected by Qatar&#39;s air defense radar.&nbsp;&ldquo;We have reached a decisive moment. There should be retaliation from the whole region to such barbaric actions,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;Al Thani condemned Israeli aggression, calling it an act of &quot;state terrorism.&quot;&nbsp;Referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s earlier claims that he would reshape the region, the Qatari prime minister asked pointedly, &ldquo;Does he mean Gulf region also?&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Israel is working to sabotage every chance for peace,&rdquo; he said. Trump &#39;very unhappy&#39; about Israeli strikes on DohaReacting to the development, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a post on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115176193823019593" style="font-size: 14px;">Truth Social</a>, he was &quot;very unhappy about every aspect&quot; of the Israeli strike and would be giving a full statement on the issue on Wednesday. &quot;I&#39;m not thrilled about it,&quot; Trump said as he arrived at a Washington restaurant. &quot;It&#39;s not a good situation but I will say this: We want the hostages back, but we&#39;re not thrilled about the way it went down today.&quot; While Israel defended the attacks as being justified, Qatar said Israel was treacherous and engaged in &quot;state terrorism.&quot; Threat to peace talksQatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the airstrikes threatened to derail the peace talks Qatar has been mediating between Hamas and Israel. US President Donald Trump said he considered hitting Hamas a worthy goal, but he felt badly that the attack took place in the Gulf Arab state, which is a major non-NATO ally of Washington and where the Palestinian Islamist group has long had its political base. The attack drew condemnation from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the European Union, and risks derailing Gaza ceasefire talks and Trump&#39;s push to achieve a negotiated end to the nearly two-year-old conflict. Qatar is a security partner of the U.S. and host to al-Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military facility in the Middle East. It has acted as a mediator alongside Egypt in talks between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza, which appears to be increasingly elusive. Hamas said five of its members had been killed in the attack, including the son of Hamas&#39;s exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya. It said Israel had failed in what Hamas called an attempt to assassinate the group&#39;s ceasefire negotiation team. Qatar &#39;bravely taking risks&#39;The Trump administration received warning of the attack from the U.S. military just before it took place, Trump said in a statement on social media. He did not say if it was Israel that notified the US military. &quot;Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America&#39;s goals,&quot; Trump wrote.&quot;However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.&quot; Hamas political bureau member Suhail al-Hindi told Al Jazeera TV the group&#39;s top leadership had survived the Israeli attack. The airstrike followed Israel warning Palestinians to leave Gaza City, an area once home to about a million people, as it tries to destroy what is left of Hamas, which has been decimated by Israel&#39;s military since October 2023. Trump said he directed his envoy Steve Witkoff to warn Qatar the attack was coming but Qatar contradicted those comments, saying that reports that it got a heads-up before the attack were false and the phone call from a U.S. official came when blasts were already being heard in the Qatari capital, Doha. &quot;Qatar reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack and will take all necessary measures to respond,&quot; al-Thani told reporters. Israel killed one member of Qatar&#39;s internal security forces in its attack and injured others, Qatar said. Trump calls Emir of QatarTrump assured the emir of Qatar in a phone call after the attack that &quot;such a thing will not happen again on their soil.&quot; The U.S. president also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli officials told Reuters the strike was aimed at top Hamas leaders, including Hayya. Israel is still gathering information on the strike and has yet to determine whether any Hamas officials or leaders were killed, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters. Two U.S. officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. military had been notified by Israel shortly before the strike but there was no coordination with or approval from Washington. Trump made a high-profile visit to Qatar in May and stayed at a hotel about 2 km from Tuesday&#39;s attack site. Attack followed Jerusalem killingsThe airstrike took place shortly after Hamas&#39; armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for a shooting on Monday that killed six people at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Netanyahu said the attack was &quot;entirely justified&quot; and was ordered after the Jerusalem attack and the deaths of four Israeli soldiers in Gaza. &quot;The days are over when terror leaders can enjoy immunity of any kind,&quot; Netanyahu said in a televised address. &quot;I won&#39;t allow that kind of immunity to exist.&quot; Doha attack draws global condemnationThe Israeli operation drew strong negative reactions around the world. The European Union called it a breach of international law and the United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020, called it &quot;blatant and cowardly&quot;. Pope Leo expressed unusually forceful concern about the consequences of Israel&#39;s strike in Qatar. &quot;The entire situation is very serious,&quot; he said. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and said Qatar had been playing a very positive role in seeking a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas. Israel has killed several top Hamas leaders since the Palestinian militant group attacked Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 soldiers and civilians and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has also bombed Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Yemen in the course of the Gaza conflict. Gaza City braces for new onslaughtOn Tuesday, Palestinians living in the ruins of Gaza City were showered with Israeli leaflets telling them to flee ahead of Israel&#39;s effort to obliterate the area and wipe out Hamas, causing panic and confusion. Israel wants to demilitarize the entire Gaza Strip, home to 2.2 million Palestinians before the war. Many countries around the world have warned Israel&#39;s plan would spell catastrophe for Palestinians. Israel military warns Netanyahu of expanding warThe plan has also provoked concern inside Israel, where public support for the war has wavered. Israel&#39;s military leadership has warned Netanyahu against expanding the war, according to Israeli officials. Families of Israeli hostages fear the attack could endanger the captives. Netanyahu says he is acting out of Israel&#39;s interest by moving to finish off Hamas in order to safeguard his country against any more attacks. Israel has been accused of genocide, including this month by the world&#39;s biggest group of genocide scholars, over its nearly two-year campaign in the Palestinian enclave that has killed more than 64,000 people, according to local authorities. With input from Reuters.

Qatari prime minister says his country reserves the right to retaliate to Israel's “blatant attack” in Doha.

Articles tagged with "Israeli attack on Doha"