Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli airstrike that targeted a minibus and killed five people in Gaza City's Tel al-Hawa neighborhood on Sept. 30, 2026, according to Gaza's civil defense agency and a hospital. (Credit: Omar Al-Qattaa/ AFP)
BEIRUT — Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has accused his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, of being a "war criminal" and condemned Israel's war in Gaza. A member of Qatar's ruling family and the country's foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed plays a central role in mediation efforts to end the war in Gaza. He made the remarks Tuesday in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan.
Appearing on "Piers Morgan Uncensored," and asked whether he believed Netanyahu was a war criminal, Sheikh Mohammed said that anyone responsible for the devastation of the besieged Palestinian territory was a "war criminal." "So, is he one?" Morgan asked. "Yes," Sheikh Mohammed answered. "Hospitals have been targeted, schools have been targeted. Whatever justification and argument is put forward, nothing justifies this," he added.
However, Sheikh Mohammed described the Oct. 7, 2023, attack carried out by Hamas against Israel as a "massacre" that "must be condemned." He called for those responsible to be held accountable but argued that Israel's response was unjustified.
He also criticized what he described as Israel's near-daily violations of the "cease-fire" that went into effect in October 2025, saying more than 1,400 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip had been killed since then.
"The occupied territory is more extensive — nearly 70% of the Gaza Strip is occupied and off-limits by Israeli forces, who have not honored their commitments under this agreement," he said. "It simply proves they have different intentions."
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday threatened to target Hamas leaders living outside the Gaza Strip, where Israel continues to carry out airstrikes it says are targeting Hamas militants.
"The Hamas leaders abroad are also in our sights. None of these despicable murderers, who played a central role in the Oct. 7 massacre, should die peacefully in their beds," he said in a video message, referring to the attack that triggered the Gaza war.
The top Qatari diplomat also strongly condemned an Israeli strike on Doha, the Qatari capital, in 2025 that targeted senior Hamas officials gathered for negotiations.
"We were attacked by Israel while we were mediating and working to promote Trump's proposal in Doha," he said, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump. "This is unacceptable and condemnable. It sets an unprecedented precedent in the history of conflicts — that of attacking a mediator."
