Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
In a sharply worded address before the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani condemned the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling it a “rogue government” and accusing it of deliberately undermining peace negotiations in Gaza while perpetuating a war under the guise of diplomacy.
Speaking from the UN podium in New York on Tuesday, Sheikh Tamim criticized Israel’s unilateral cancellation of the most recent ceasefire, asserting that Doha, in cooperation with Egypt and the United States, had successfully mediated the release of 148 hostages only to have the progress reversed by Israeli action.
“We continued our mediation efforts despite Israel unilaterally ending the latest ceasefire without offering any justification,” the Qatari leader said. “We were hopeful that we could achieve a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the withdrawal of occupation forces from Gaza, the entry of humanitarian aid, and the liberation of Palestinian prisoners.”
“They Visit Us, Then Plan to Bomb Us”
In a rare public disclosure, Sheikh Tamim revealed that Qatar had hosted delegations from both Hamas and Israel during negotiations, but he accused the Israeli government of acting in bad faith—and of planning military strikes against those involved in the talks.
“They visit our country and plan to bomb it,” he said. “They negotiate with delegations while plotting to assassinate members of those delegations. It is difficult to deal with a mindset that does not respect the most basic principles of human interaction. Predicting their behavior is nearly impossible. Is this not the very definition of a rogue government?”
The Emir’s remarks come amid growing international frustration over the protracted war in Gaza, which has entered a devastating new phase. Israel’s ongoing military campaign, launched in response to the October 2024 Hamas attacks, has led to widespread destruction across the Gaza Strip, displacing hundreds of thousands and plunging the enclave into a humanitarian catastrophe.
“Negotiating to Continue the War by Other Means”
Sheikh Tamim went further, suggesting that Israel was using the negotiation process as a public relations tactic to justify continued military aggression rather than to reach any genuine resolution.
“Israel engages in negotiations not to end the war, but to continue it by other means and as a tool to mislead Israeli public opinion,” he said. “No party attempts to assassinate the delegation it is negotiating with, unless the true aim is to sabotage the talks entirely.”
The Emir accused Netanyahu’s government of placing the destruction of Gaza above the recovery of Israeli hostages.
“If the price of freeing the Israeli hostages is ending the war, then the Netanyahu government is clearly choosing to abandon their release,” he stated. “The real goal is to destroy Gaza make it uninhabitable, unfit for work, education, or healthcare devoid of all elements of human life. This is a prelude to forced displacement.”
UN General Assembly Marks 80th Anniversary Amid Deep Divisions
The Emir’s address was delivered as part of the opening of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, held under the theme: “Together for Better: 80 Years and Beyond for Peace, Development, and Human Rights.” This year’s gathering comes at a time of unprecedented geopolitical polarization, with wars in Ukraine and Gaza, rising authoritarianism, and worsening climate instability dominating the agenda.
The session will continue through Saturday, September 27, and conclude officially on Monday, September 29.
Qatar has played a central role in back-channel diplomacy throughout the Gaza conflict, often serving as an intermediary between Israel, Hamas, and Western governments. While the Gulf nation has drawn praise for its ability to engage all sides, it has also faced criticism particularly from Israeli officials over its longstanding ties to Hamas.
In his speech, Sheikh Tamim defended Qatar’s diplomatic positioning and warned that sustainable peace in the region cannot be achieved while military operations aim to erase Palestinian life and identity.
“The international community must not stand idle while Gaza is being systematically destroyed,” he concluded. “What is happening now is not self-defense. It is extermination masked as policy.”
