Islamic States Rally Behind Qatar as Israel Targets Hamas, Neutralizes 51 Terror Operatives in Gaza

Smoke rises from an explosion in Doha following an Israeli strike (AP Photo)

Doha, Qatar – September 15, 2025 – In a display of regional unity, leaders from over 50 Arab and Islamic nations gathered in Doha today for an emergency summit, issuing a joint declaration of "full solidarity" with Qatar following an Israeli airstrike on its soil last week. The communiqué condemned the September 9 attack as a "flagrant violation" of Qatari sovereignty and international law, while also decrying Israel's ongoing military operations in Gaza. However, the summit's rhetoric stands in stark contrast to Israel's stated imperative: dismantling the Hamas terror network responsible for the October 7, 2023, massacre that claimed 1,200 Israeli lives, including 815 civilians, and the abduction of 251 hostages.

The Doha gathering, hosted by Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, drew high-profile attendees including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who labeled the Israeli strike "brutal aggression."

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani hailed the "unprecedented" support, accusing Israel of pursuing a "genocidal war" in Gaza that sabotages ceasefire efforts. The final resolution called for reviewing diplomatic ties with Israel and urged de-escalation, though no concrete military measures were proposed.

Yet, from Jerusalem's perspective, the strike was a precise and justified operation against the architects of unprecedented terror. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the action as "fully justified," targeting Hamas political bureau members directly linked to planning the October 7 atrocities – the deadliest day in Israel's history. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the airstrike hit a residential compound in Doha's Leqtaifiya district, where Hamas leaders were convening to discuss a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal.

While Hamas claimed its negotiating team survived, the attack killed five of its officials, including the son of chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, and one Qatari security officer.

Israel's broader campaign in Gaza, now in its second year, stems from Hamas's barbaric incursion on October 7, 2023, when approximately 3,000 militants breached the border, firing over 5,000 rockets and massacring civilians at kibbutzim, a music festival, and military outposts. The assault, dubbed "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" by Hamas, involved summary executions, sexual violence, and the taking of 251 hostages – 48 of whom remain captive, with fewer than half believed alive. President Isaac Herzog echoed Netanyahu's stance, stating that threats like Hamas must be "removed" to secure lasting peace.

As the summit convened, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City claimed at least 51 Palestinian lives, including children, according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry. The strikes targeted high-rise buildings and areas used by Hamas for military purposes, part of an intensified operation to seize control of northern Gaza from the terror group. Palestinian officials decried the attacks as "cowardly assassinations," but IDF assessments paint a different picture: Hamas's deliberate embedding of rocket launchers, command centers, and tunnels in civilian areas – a tactic decried as using human shields, prohibited under international law.

Evidence of this strategy abounds. Hamas's own combat manual instructs fighters to exploit civilian infrastructure, while officials like senior politburo member Mousa Abu Marzouk have admitted prioritizing tunnels for militants over bomb shelters for civilians.The IDF has documented over 350 miles of tunnels beneath Gaza, often under hospitals, schools, and homes – turning populated areas into de facto shields. In one instance, CCTV footage captured Hamas militants using Al-Shifa Hospital to hide and transport hostages on October 7, endangering medical staff and patients alike. Such practices constitute a double war crime: endangering Palestinian civilians while targeting Israeli ones.

On casualties, discrepancies highlight the fog of war – and Hamas's propaganda efforts. The Gaza Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, reports over 64,000 total deaths since October 2023, but independent analyses reveal distortions: the figures include natural deaths, pre-war fatalities, and omit thousands of Hamas combatants, inflating civilian tolls. A recent study by professors Lewi Stone and Gregory Rose found that women and children comprise just 34% of fatalities in key operations – far below their 70% share of Gaza's population – underscoring IDF precision and Hamas's underreporting of fighters killed. The IDF, meanwhile, confirms over 17,000 militants eliminated, including 13,000+ Hamas operatives, alongside efforts like "roof knocking" warnings to minimize harm.

Israel's operations have not been without cost: 431 soldiers killed and over 2,668 wounded since the invasion.

Despite U.S. concerns that the Doha strike hinders talks – with Ambassador Mike Huckabee urging Qatar's continued mediation – Jerusalem insists Hamas's safe havens abroad must end. A Maariv poll shows 75% of Israelis approve the Qatar operation, viewing it as essential to preventing future October 7s.

As the summit wraps, the path forward remains fraught. Qatar vows accountability, while Israel presses on, arguing that solidarity with a Hamas host enables terror. With 48 hostages still held and Gaza's humanitarian crisis deepening, mediators face an uphill battle. For Israel, the message is clear: no sanctuary for those who orchestrate mass murder.