UAE warns Netanyahu: Threats to Qatar are threats to all Gulf states

The comments followed Netanyahu’s stark warning to Doha on Wednesday, when he called on Qatar to take action against Hamas leaders living there.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The United Arab Emirates on Thursday criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for harsh words directed at Qatar, warning that any attack on a Gulf state would be viewed as an assault on the region’s collective security.

Afra Al Hameli, a senior UAE official, said Israel’s approach threatened the Gulf’s “joint security system,” highlighting rare public friction between Abu Dhabi and Jerusalem.

The comments followed Netanyahu’s stark warning to Doha on Wednesday, when he called on Qatar to take action against Hamas leaders living there.

“Expel Hamas officials or bring them to justice, because if you don’t, we will,” he declared in a video statement.

The exchange came just a day after Israel carried out an airstrike on Doha aimed at Hamas’s political leadership, part of a widening campaign against the group’s senior figures outside Gaza.

The attack drew a wave of international criticism and sharpened tensions with regional powers, including those that had previously sought closer ties with Israel.

For the UAE, Netanyahu’s message struck directly at regional solidarity.

“Any attack on a Gulf state is an attack on the Gulf’s joint security system,” Al Hameli emphasized.

Israel has insisted that Hamas leaders abroad remain legitimate targets, pointing to their roles in planning and directing the group’s operations.

Netanyahu’s remarks highlighted that position, signaling his government’s intent to pressure countries hosting Hamas figures.

The episode revealed the fragile balance between Israel’s efforts to pursue Hamas leadership across borders and the sensitivities of Arab states wary of being drawn into confrontation.

While Israel views such strikes as vital to its campaign against the group, the UAE’s response reflected a determination to protect the integrity of Gulf alliances.