What we covered
• Questions abound: Doubts have emerged about the success of Israel’s attack against Hamas leadership in Qatar, according to Israeli officials. Sources told CNN that two senior officials have sought to distance themselves from yesterday’s strikes during conversations with foreign counterparts.
• Unprecedented attack: The attack marks the first publicly acknowledged strike on a Gulf state by Israel. Qatar is a US ally and key mediator in Gaza ceasefire and hostage negotiations — putting the talks at risk.
• What Qatar’s PM says: In an exclusive interview, Qatar’s prime minister told CNN that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu must “be brought to justice,” adding that he hopes for a “collective response” from regional allies.
• Trump’s reaction: US President Donald Trump has criticized the strike, saying he was “very unhappy about every aspect” of it.
Our live coverage of Middle East news has ended for the day. Follow the latest updates or read through the posts below.
Five more people die of malnutrition in Gaza in past 24 hours, Palestinian health ministry says
At least five people, including one child, have died of malnutrition in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the Palestinian health ministry said Wednesday.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of September 5, at least 361 Palestinians have died due to malnutrition, including 130 children, since October 2023.
“Starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at the highest levels ever since the conflict (between Israel and Hamas) began almost two years ago. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid has cost many lives,” WHO said in a statement on Wednesday.
“After 22 months of relentless conflict, over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterized by starvation, destitution and death,” WHO added.
According to a report by a United Nations-backed initiative in August, parts of Gaza are officially experiencing a “man-made” famine.
Israel has previously blamed Hamas for its decision to halt aid shipments, alleging the militant group was stealing supplies and profiting from it. Hamas has denied this allegation.
Israel has said it is allowing ample aid into the besieged Palestinian territory, but aid agencies and multiple Western nations say the amount of food reaching Gaza’s population under strict Israeli control is a fraction of what is needed.
Israeli president tells CNN Israel “ready for a complete deal” with Hamas despite Doha strike
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said that Israel remains “ready for a complete deal” to end the war with Hamas, despite its strike on Tuesday which targeted the Hamas delegation in Qatar as it was reviewing the latest ceasefire proposal.
Hamas was expected to respond Tuesday evening to the latest US-backed proposal for a Gaza ceasefire, a diplomat briefed on the talks told CNN earlier, before Israel’s strike on Doha disrupted the plans.
Asked by CNN whether Israel’s strike on Doha showed it is not interested in a ceasefire, Herzog stressed that Israel wants to see an end to the war.
“Israel made clear yesterday … that it is ready for a complete deal, the end of war, getting our hostages back and moving forward. This is what Israel is willing to do, and it’s waiting and waiting and waiting, and we see all the time how they (Hamas) manipulate the proposals,” Herzog said Wednesday at an event at Chatham House, an internationally renowned think tank in London.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu only said that Israel had accepted the new US proposal hours after carrying out the attack in Doha.
Also in the discussion, Herzog claimed that Israel had accepted ceasefire proposals “almost for the last year or so,” claiming that Hamas often inserted a “poison pill” in the negotiations.
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said earlier this year that he had repeatedly foiled ceasefire deals.
Earlier Wednesday, Herzog met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, saying the pair had a “tough” discussion, with the UK set to recognize a Palestinian state later this month.
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu has been "wasting time" in peace negotiations
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been “wasting time” in recent weeks during peace negotiations, Qatar’s prime minister told CNN’s Becky Anderson.
“I’ve been rethinking, even about the entire process for the last few weeks, that Netanyahu was just wasting our time,” Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said.
“He wasn’t serious about anything,” he added, as he dismissed recent talks as “meaningless.”
Al-Thani added the Qataris are “reassessing everything” around their involvement in any future ceasefire talks, and added they are in a “very detailed conversation” with the United States government on how to proceed.
Remember: This weekend, the US proposed a new ceasefire framework. Trump said Israel had agreed to its terms and that it was “time for Hamas to accept as well.”
Qatar’s prime minister pressed Hamas to “respond positively” to this proposal in a meeting in Doha, according to an official familiar with that discussion.
Hamas was then due to respond Tuesday evening to the proposal, a diplomat briefed on the talks told CNN, before Israel’s strike on Doha.
CNN’s Christian Edwards and Becky Anderson contributed reporting.
Key lines from CNN’s exclusive interview with Qatar’s prime minister
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani addressed Israel’s attack on Hamas leaders in Doha in an interview today with CNN’s Becky Anderson.
Remember that Qatar is an important US ally and key mediator in the Gaza ceasefire talks.
If you’re just joining us, these are the key lines:
- Israeli attack is “state terror”: “I have no words to express how enraged we are from such an action … this is state terror.” Al-Thani added, “We are betrayed.”
- Status of Hamas chief negotiator: He did not reveal the fate of Hamas’ chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya. “Until now … there is no official declaration.”
- Hope gone for Israeli hostages: “I think that what (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu has done yesterday, he just killed any hope for those hostages,” he said.
- Netanyahu slammed: “He needs to be brought to justice,” Al-Thani said. “He’s the one who’s wanted at the (International Criminal Court.)” The prime minister added, “He’s breaking every law – he broke every international law.”
- Undermining of peace: Netanyahu is “trying to undermine any chance of stability, any chance of peace” by attacking Hamas’ leadership in Doha, Al Thani said.
- Collective regional response: “There is a response that will happen from the region. This response is currently under consultation and discussion with other partners in the region,” Al-Thani said. An Arab-Islamic summit will be held in Doha in the coming days, where the participants will decide on a course of action, he said.
CNN’s Mostafa Salem, Mitchell McCluskey, Caitlin Danaher, Max Saltman, Kristen Holmes, Kevin Liptak and Maureen Chowdhury contributed to this report.
Qatari prime minister does not reveal if Hamas' chief negotiator was killed in Israeli strike
Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani did not reveal the fate of Hamas’ chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, following Israel’s attack targeting the group’s leadership in Doha on Tuesday.
When asked by CNN’s Becky Anderson on the whereabouts of the chief negotiator, Al-Thani said: “Until now … there is no official declaration.”
Hamas had initially said five of its members were killed in the strike, but it failed to assassinate the negotiating delegation.
Al-Thani said a 22-year-old Qatari security officer was killed in the attack.
“We are trying to to identify if there is any other one missing … there are Qataris who are in a very dangerous situation,” he added.
Qatar hopes for "collective response" from regional allies to Israeli strike on Doha
Qatar hopes that there will be a “collective response” to Israel’s strike on Hamas officials in Doha, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani told CNN’s Becky Anderson in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
“There is a response that will happen from the region. This response is currently under consultation and discussion with other partners in the region,” Al-Thani said.
Al-Thani stated that an Arab-Islamic summit will be held in Doha in the coming days, where the participants will decide on a course of action.
However, Al-Thani said that Qatar will not ask other regional partners to respond in a particular way.
“There is a collective response that should happen from the region,” Al-Thani said, “We are hoping for something meaningful that deters Israel from continuing this bullying.”
Israel's strike on Qatar undermines "any chance of peace," Qatari prime minister says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “trying to undermine any chance of stability, any chance of peace” by attacking Hamas’ leadership in the capital of Qatar, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani told CNN’s Becky Anderson in a world exclusive interview on Wednesday.
Al-Thani said that it was “very publicly known” that he was meeting with Hamas leadership, acting in Qatar’s role as a mediator in the Middle East conflict.
“Everything about the meeting is very well known to the Israelis and the Americans. It’s not something that we are hiding,” he said.
“There’s no justification that this is considered harboring terrorism,” he added.
Al-Thani also accused Netanyahu of jeopardizing the lives of the hostages still held in Gaza.
“I think that what Netanyahu has done yesterday - he just killed any hope for those hostages,” Al-Thani said.
Netanyahu must "be brought to justice," Qatari prime minister says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must “be brought to justice,” Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani told CNN’s Becky Anderson.
“He needs to be brought to justice,” Al-Thani said. “He’s the one who’s wanted at the (International Criminal Court.)”
Netanyahu, along with former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, is accused by the ICC of war crimes related to Israel’s actions in Gaza. The prime minister and Gallant have denied wrongdoing.
Al-Thani’s comments to CNN come in direct response to Netanyahu warning Qatar in a video statement on Wednesday to “either expel (Hamas) or you bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will.”
“I think that someone like him trying to lecture the war about the law,” Al-Thani said. “He’s breaking every law - he broke every international law.”
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu "killed any hope" for Israeli hostages
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani told CNN’s Becky Anderson that he believes Israel’s strike on Doha yesterday “killed any hope” for the hostages remaining in Gaza.
Al-Thani said he could not predict what Hamas’ response to the latest US principles for a ceasefire would have been had Israel not struck Doha on Tuesday, but said that he believed that Israel and Hamas “are going to run out of chances” to secure a ceasefire.
“I was meeting one of the hostages families the morning of the attack,” Al-Thani said. “They are counting on this (ceasefire) mediation, they have no other hope for that.”
“I think that what (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu has done yesterday, he just killed any hope for those hostages,” the prime minister added.
Qatari prime minister describes Israeli attack as "state terror"
Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani described Israel’s attack on Doha as “state terror,” in an exclusive interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson.
“I have no words to express how enraged we are from such an action … this is state terror,” Al Thani told CNN. “We are betrayed.”
The prime minister added the United States has expressed their support for Qatar “on many occasions.”
Some context: Trump was informed of the strike only shortly before it began — and not by Israel itself, but by Chairman of the Joint Staff Gen. Dan Caine, according to a US official. He immediately told White House special envoy Steve Witkoff to brief them, according to another US official. Witkoff has a longstanding relationship with the Qataris.
Israeli opposition leader says Qatar operation had "nothing to do with strategy"
Israel’s opposition Leader Yair Lapid said today that the Israeli military’s operation in Qatar’s capital of Doha had “nothing to do with strategy,” after Hamas said the strike failed to assassinate the negotiating delegation.
“But as the hours go by, we understand … this might not be as successful as we thought in the beginning,” he added.
“This has nothing to do with the strategy. It’s just an operation and actually there’s a scene now, which is the president of the United States came pretty close to calling the prime minister reckless,” Lapid continued.
The comments come after the opposition leader initially praised the attack yesterday, commending the Israeli Air Force and the Israeli military for “an exceptional operation to thwart our enemies.”
EU Commission plans to enact new measures against Israel over attempts to "undermine two-state solution"
The European Commission plans to enact new measures against Israel because of its attempts to “undermine the two-state solution,” President Ursula von der Leyen announced earlier today.
Israel’s “financial suffocation” of the Palestinian Authority, its E1 plan to expand a settlement in the occupied West Bank, and “actions and statements by the most extremist ministers of the Israeli government which incite violence” all point to a “clear attempt to undermine the two-state solution,” she said.
Israel’s actions show that it wants to “undermine the vision of a viable Palestinian state,” von der Leyen continued. “And we must not let that happen.”
Because of this, the European Commission will put its “bilateral support to Israel on hold,” propose sanctions on “extremist ministers and on violent settlers,” and propose a partial suspension of its association agreement with Israel on trade-related matters, she said.
The commission will also set up a Palestine Donor Group in October, von der Leyen continued.
Israel’s reaction: Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called von der Leyen’s speech “regrettable,” saying in a statement that “Europe is sending the wrong message, one that strengthens Hamas and the radical axis in the Middle East.”
“The suffering in Gaza is entirely the work of Hamas,” Sa’ar said, adding that the path to ending the war should involve releasing the hostages held in the enclave, disarming Hamas, and building “a new future for Gaza.”
UN Security Council meeting on Doha strike postponed as Israeli ambassador says it didn't intend to harm Qatar
A United Nations Security Council meeting about Israel’s strike on Doha has been postponed to tomorrow, Israeli ambassador to the UN Danny Danon’s spokesperson said.
The meeting was scheduled to take place this afternoon, the spokesperson said, but was postponed at the request of Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani so that he can participate in the discussion.
Meanwhile, Danon said that “Israel’s operation was not intended to harm the State of Qatar.”
Senior Israeli officials trying to distance themselves from Israel’s strikes on Qatar, sources tell CNN
Two senior Israeli officials have sought to distance themselves in conversations with foreign counterparts from yesterday’s strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, officials familiar with the matter said, in what appears to be a concerted damage control effort.
Israel’s Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, who has led Israel’s ceasefire negotiations for months, told US officials that he was unaware of the specific strike plan when he met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff one day earlier, according to the officials.
David Barnea, the Mossad director who has played a key role in ceasefire talks, told US and Qatari mediators that he had no prior knowledge of the strikes and learned about them as they took place, the officials said.
But two other Israeli sources familiar with the discussions told CNN that Barnea was aware of the plans and had questioned the wisdom of carrying out the strikes at the same time as the US was launching a new attempt to restart negotiations.
It is highly unlikely that either official would have been unaware of the planning and decision-making to carry out such a high-profile strike.
Israeli officials held initial discussions about moving forward with the strikes on Hamas leaders on Monday and the Israeli prime minister gave final approval on Tuesday, in the hours before the strikes, according to Israeli sources.
Israeli officials told CNN that Dermer was tasked with communicating events to the Trump administration in the wake of the strikes in a bid to minimize the fallout on the US-Israel relationship.
Meanwhile, Israel says it is striking Houthi targets in Yemen
Israel has struck several Houthi targets in Yemen, including in the capital city of Sanaa, according to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that “Israeli agression” had targeted a government complex in the district of Al-Hazm in the northern Al Jawf Governorate.
The Houthi-run health ministry said at least nine people were killed and 118 others injured by Israeli strikes.
The attack comes less than two weeks after Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and other senior Houthi officials were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sanaa.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will continue to carry out strikes in Yemen. The Israeli leader said today’s strikes were a response to Houthi attacks on Ramon Airport in southern Israel, which hit the arrivals hall on Sunday.
Some context: The Houthis and Israel engaged in an escalating long-range conflict since the Iran-backed rebel group began targeting Israel in what the group’s leaders say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Iran has also provided financial and military backing for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza.
This post has been updated with comments from Netanyahu and the numbers of deaths reported by the Houthis.
UAE president arrives in Doha in show of solidarity
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in the Doha earlier today to show support after Israel’s unprecedented strike on the Qatari capital.
The UAE strongly condemned the attack, labelling it “treacherous.” The Emirati leader was joined by a large delegation, including Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and Abu Dhabi’s National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Tuesday’s attack, which targeted Hamas leaders, was Israel’s first strike on a Gulf Arab nation.
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani greeted the Emirati delegation on the tarmac and later met the UAE leader, where Sheikh Mohammed called Israel’s attack “criminal” and warned that “such actions threaten the region’s security, stability, and prospects for peace,” the UAE’s state news agency WAM said.
In 2020, the UAE became the first Arab nation to sign a normalization agreement with Israel in 26 years. But relations have strained since due to Israel’s war in Gaza and plans by the Benjamin Netanyahu government to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, where some 3 million Palestinians live.
Last week, the UAE issued its strongest statement yet to Israel, warning against the annexation and declaring it a “red line” that could jeopardizes relations.
The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Qatar in mid-2017 after accusing the country of supporting terrorism, and restored relations three years later.
Catch up: Gaza talks left in limbo as doubts emerge over Israel's attack on Hamas in Qatar
As global condemnation of Israel’s strike on the Qatari capital continues, questions are being asked as to where this leaves the crucial Gaza peace negotiations that were ongoing just yesterday prior to the attack.
The attack on Hamas leadership in Doha killed six people, including five Hamas members, and has all but shattered hopes that end to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza could come soon.
Here’s what we’ve been covering in the aftermath of the attack:
- International backlash: Countries around the world have spoken out against the attack, condemning it as a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and of international law.
- Trump “not thrilled:” US President Donald Trump said he was “very unhappy” with Israel’s actions against the Gulf state, which is a US ally and has been a key player in Gaza negotiations.
- Questions over strike’s success: Doubts are emerging over the success of the attack, two Israeli officials told CNN. It targeted Hamas’ chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, but Hamas did not list him among the dead.
- US proposal plans disrupted: Hamas was expected to respond to a US proposal for a Gaza ceasefire yesterday evening, before the Israeli strike disrupted those plans, a diplomat briefed on the talks told CNN.
- Hamas not talking about ceasefire: A senior Hamas official told CNN that no discussions are taking currently place on a Gaza ceasefire after the strike. “No one is talking about this at the moment,” the official said.
- Qatar “won’t be deterred:” Qatar’s prime minister said that his country’s tradition of diplomacy “won’t be deterred” in the wake of the attack, but implied that current talks on Gaza have an uncertain path.
Netanyahu has "tested" his relationship with Trump and "may not like the result," former Israeli consul says
As questions swirl around the level of the United States’ awareness of Israel’s attack on Hamas in Qatar, the former Israeli consul general in New York says one thing is clear: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is testing his relationship with the US president.
While it is possible that Israel sent a “very dry, very technical pre-notification” to the US about its intention to strike Doha, Pinkas said the US has come out of the incident looking unreliable.
“If they knew and they let it happen, they look bad. If they didn’t know, then what kind of influence and control do they have over a staunch ally and a close ally like Israel?” he said.
Pinkas added that Netanyahu’s objective might have been to derail the Gaza negotiations but also said that it could be the catalyst for an end to the war. But that, he said, depends on Trump.
“If the president of the US is angry enough, livid enough, disillusioned enough, he can end the war in one phone call,” Pinkas said.
“This act, in and of itself, could actually end the war. But that depends on one person, and this is Donald Trump,” he added.
Meanwhile, Israel's offensive in Gaza City is ramping up
While Israel faces faces condemnation abroad and unease at home over its strike on the Hamas delegation in Qatar, it has continued to bombard Gaza City in the north of the enclave.
Hours before Tuesday’s strike on Doha, Israel ordered the complete evacuation of Gaza City, which it vowed last month to occupy fully.
On Wednesday, the Israeli military said it struck a high-rise building in the city, claiming that Hamas had been operating there.
Videos from social media showed large explosions and a huge plume of smoke billowing from the 13-story Al Taybeh tower, as it collapsed.
It was not clear how many people were injured in the fresh strikes on Gaza City. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the enclave said Wednesday that at least 41 people had been killed over the past day.
Elsewhere: While Israel intensifies its assault on Gaza City, the rest of the enclave remains in the grip of a starvation crisis due to Israel’s blockade.
Last month, a United Nations-backed initiative confirmed that parts of Gaza, including Gaza City, are experiencing a “man-made” famine.
Gaza’s health ministry said it recorded five new deaths due to starvation and malnutrition in the past day, including a child.
