Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Qatar on Wednesday to either expel Hamas officials or bring them to justice after Israel carried out an unprecedented attack in Qatar a day ago.

"I say to Qatar and all nations who harbor terrorists, you either expel them or you bring them to justice – because if you don't, we will," Netanyahu said. He also accused Qatar of providing safe haven and financing to Hamas, drawing a sharp rebuke from Doha.

Qatar hit back at Netanyhu early on Thursday, saying his remarks about the Gulf country's hosting of a Hamas office are "reckless."

Qatar's foreign ministry condemned what it described as Netanyahu's "explicit threats of future violations of state sovereignty," saying that "Netanyahu is fully aware that the hosting of the Hamas office took place within the framework of Qatar's mediation efforts requested by the United States and Israel."

Qatar, along with Egypt, has been mediating peace talks between Hamas and Israel. It warned that Israel's attack on Doha threatened to derail those negotiations.

"We will work with our partners to ensure Netanyahu is held accountable and that his reckless and irresponsible actions are brought to an end," the foreign ministry said.

The UN Security Council postponed a planned Wednesday meeting until Thursday at the request of Qatar so the country's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, could attend.

Condemnations and solidarity

Regional countries on Wednesday reaffirmed their condemnation on Israel's Doha strike, and voiced their support for and solidarity with Qatar.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said in a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Abu Dhabi that the UAE backs all measures Qatar may take to safeguard its security and safety.

During his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman on Wednesday, Jordan's King Abdullah II condemned the Israeli Doha strike, rejected Israeli plans to expand control over Gaza and settlement activity in the West Bank and stressed the need for a ceasefire in Gaza and unhindered humanitarian access.

Besides, the attack generated a flurry of diplomacy between Arab states.

UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Qatar on Wednesday. Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein was also expected in Qatar, while Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was expected in Doha on Thursday, showing regional solidarity with Qatar, Reuters reported.

The European Commission will propose sanctioning extremist Israeli ministers and the suspension of trade-related measures in a European Union agreement with Israel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

Israeli operations in Gaza City continue

Israel escalated its assault on Gaza City on Wednesday, flattening residential towers and pounding crowded neighborhoods, as Tel Aviv pressed ahead with an ongoing offensive to occupy the entire city.

Explosions echoed throughout the day as Israeli jets struck across the city of more than 1.2 million people. The attacks were concentrated in the west, where hundreds of thousands of displaced families from northern and eastern Gaza have sought refuge.

The bombardment comes as part of Israel's latest ground offensive, dubbed "Gideon's Chariots 2," launched September 3 to fully occupy Gaza City.

The UN's health agency World Health Organization said on Wednesday its workers will remain in Gaza City despite calls from Israel's military for people to flee an assault it is mounting there.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the UN agency, said on X that half of the functioning hospitals left in the Gaza Strip were in Gaza City, and the territory's "crippled health system cannot afford to lose any of these remaining facilities."

Tedros urged the international community to "act", saying that, in Gaza, "this catastrophe is human-made, and the responsibility rests with us all."

(With input from agencies)