Jerusalem: Israel's parliament on Wednesday rejected a bill proposed by opposition leader Yair Lapid to classify Qatar as an 'enemy state,' according to Israeli media.

According to Anadolu Agency, Channel 12 reported that 28 lawmakers supported the bill while 45 voted against it. The report did not specify total attendance in the 120-member Knesset. The Blue and White party, led by Benny Gantz, boycotted the vote, the channel said, adding: 'It was not appropriate to raise political issues during wartime.'

Lapid had introduced the bill last month, according to the same source. The proposal followed an Israeli airstrike on September 9, 2025, targeting Hamas leadership in Doha, which Qatar condemned. The attack reportedly resulted in the death of a member of Qatar's internal security forces and five Palestinians, leading to widespread regional and international condemnation.

The strike occurred despite Qatar's role, alongside Egypt and under US supervision, in mediating indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel. These efforts led to a ceasefire in Gaza that took effect on October 10, following two years of violence that began in October 2023. The conflict resulted in the widespread destruction of approximately 90% of Gaza's civilian infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated by the United Nations at around $70 billion.

Palestinian sources claim that Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire, resulting in the deaths of 689 Palestinians in Gaza since October.