Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not ruled out further strikes on Hamas leaders following last week’s attack in Qatar, saying they would not have immunity “wherever they are”.
Speaking at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said every country had the right “to defend itself beyond its borders”.
Israel’s decision to target senior Hamas leaders in Qatar – a close US ally – drew international outrage and criticism from US President Donald Trump. Hamas said six people were killed but that its leaders survived.
When pressed on whether the US had any involvement in the strike, Netanyahu told journalists: “We did it on our own. Period.”
In response to a question from the BBC about whether Israel’s strike had damaged US relations in the region, Rubio said Washington maintained “strong relationships with our Gulf allies”.
The meeting between Rubio and Netanyahu comes as Arab leaders hold a summit in a show of support for Qatar. Its prime minister urged the international community to stop applying “double standards” and to punish Israel.
Qatar hosts a major US airbase and has played a key role in brokering diplomatic efforts to end the war in Gaza, serving as a mediator of indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel. It has hosted the Hamas political bureau since 2012.
On Sunday, Netanyahu told reporters that the US-Israel relationship was as “durable as the stones in the Western Wall” while he and Rubio made a short visit to the holy site in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Credit: bbc.com
