Netanyahu Defends Airstrikes Against Hamas in Qatar

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended recent airstrikes against Hamas militants located in Qatar. On Monday, he stated that the Gulf nation is in violation of UN Security Council resolution 1373.

This resolution, enacted after the 9/11 attacks, prohibits countries from harboring terrorists. It also suggests that nations have the right to defend themselves against terrorists that other states shield.

During a press conference with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem, Netanyahu addressed questions regarding how the US could ease tensions with its Gulf allies.

He remarked:

There is immense irony and hypocrisy in Israel’s condemnation. Following 9/11, the UN Security Council instituted resolution 1373, which asserts that nations must not allow terrorists to find shelter, finances, or planning support. We didn’t specify that some regions can act differently than others. The US, for instance, took decisive action against the terrorist safe havens of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and [Osama] Bin Laden in Pakistan. The nation that now criticizes Israel has not acknowledged the violations of sovereignty involved there. If you enable terrorists to operate from your territory, sovereignty takes a back seat. Thus, under international law, every nation has the right to protect itself from those who pose a lethal threat to its citizens.

Rubio, who spoke before Netanyahu, emphasized that the US is collaborating with its Gulf Arab partners, focusing on future relations rather than past incidents.

He did not contradict Netanyahu’s assertion that Qatar’s government was breaching resolution 1373, a resolution originally passed at the behest of the US.