‘Nothing Is Justifying This’: Qatar’s PM Slams Israel’s Gaza Atrocities as Mediation Frays
Doha, Qatar — Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, condemned Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza on Tuesday, saying whoever is responsible for the devastation in the besieged Palestinian territory is a “war criminal.”
Speaking on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” Sheikh Mohammed, who also serves as Qatar’s foreign minister, was asked to characterize Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. While he described the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, as “a massacre” that “should be condemned,” he said the Israeli response was unjustified.
“Hospitals have been targeted, schools have been targeted. Whatever the justifications and the arguments, nothing is justifying this,” he said.
His comments add to pressure on Israel from one of the most important intermediaries in the Gaza conflict. Qatar has for years hosted Hamas’s political office and helped broker pauses, hostage releases and broader cease-fire talks, giving Doha unusual leverage — and unusual exposure — in the war.
Sheikh Mohammed accused Israel of repeatedly violating the cease-fire that took effect in October 2025, saying more than 1,400 Palestinians in Gaza had been killed since it began. He also said Israel was failing to honor the terms of the agreement.
He said nearly 70 percent of the Strip was now occupied or off-limits, accusing Israeli forces of failing to fulfill their commitments. “They are not fulfilling their commitments of this agreement,” he said. “This is just showing that they have different intentions.”
He said Qatar’s efforts to broker a cease-fire had been “undermined” by Israel “from day one of the war.” The charge reflects a broader frustration among mediators who have tried to keep negotiations alive despite repeated military and political shocks.
Sheikh Mohammed also condemned Israel’s 2025 strike on Doha, which targeted senior Hamas officials who had gathered for negotiations. The attack caused a deadly explosion and amounted to an unprecedented violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, he said.
“We were attacked by Israel while we were mediating and trying to push for Trump’s proposal at that time in Doha. It was unacceptable and condemned. It’s setting a precedent of attacking the mediator that has never happened throughout the wars in history,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “has crossed the line,” he added, “like he has crossed other lines before that.”
Despite the setbacks, Sheikh Mohammed said mediation had never been easy, but he still believed quiet diplomacy was the most effective route to progress. Qatar has also joined Pakistan in a mediatory role between the United States and Iran after the launch of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran.
“We are trying to do our best to give the best advice to the U.S. government on how to reach a solution, as well as to the Iranians,” he said.
He outlined three issues that he said must be resolved to end the U.S.-Israel war on Iran: an agreement recognizing Tehran’s right to “peaceful nuclear power” and the removal of sanctions; agreement on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz under international law; and reform of regional security arrangements involving the Gulf Cooperation Council states and Iran.
The final point, he said, “wouldn’t happen without dialogue between Iran and GCC and setting the principles of what a good neighborhood relationship should be.” That should include “non-interference in each other’s affairs” and “non-aggression” against one another, he added.
If the region could “build an area of common interest where we work together in areas of energy and economy, and trade and business,” he said, it would “allow the chance for this region to unleash its potential.”
The remarks underscored how the Gaza war has reshaped Qatar’s role in the region: Doha remains a key channel for talks, but its prime minister is now openly warning that attacks on mediators and continued violations of cease-fires could erode the very diplomacy that outside powers rely on to contain a wider conflict.