ISLAMABAD: Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday there would be a response that is under discussion with regional partners to Israel's Tuesday attack on Doha.
Plans are ongoing for a summit to be held in Doha in the near future around these discussions, he said, without giving a specific date, Reuters reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “trying to undermine any chance of stability, any chance of peace” by attacking Hamas’ leadership in the capital of Qatar, Qatari prime minister told CNN in the interview.
“No justification”
Al-Thani said that it was “very publicly known” that he was meeting with Hamas leadership, acting in Qatar’s role as a mediator in the Middle East conflict.
“Everything about the meeting is very well known to the Israelis and the Americans. It’s not something that we are hiding,” he said.
“There’s no justification that this is considered harboring terrorism,” he added.
Al-Thani also accused Netanyahu of jeopardizing the lives of the hostages still held in Gaza.
“I think that what Netanyahu has done yesterday - he just killed any hope for those hostages,” Al-Thani said.
“Be brought to justice”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must “be brought to justice,” Qatar’s prime minister told CNN.
“He needs to be brought to justice,” Al-Thani said. “He’s the one who’s wanted at the (International Criminal Court.)”
Netanyahu, along with former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, is accused by the ICC of war crimes related to Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The prime minister and Gallant have denied wrongdoing.
Al-Thani’s comments to CNN come in direct response to Netanyahu warning Qatar in a video statement on Wednesday to “either expel (Hamas) or you bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will.”
“I think that someone like him trying to lecture the war about the law,” Al-Thani said. “He’s breaking every law - he broke every international law.”