Global fears of a wider conflict intensified after two separate crises — Israel’s deadly strike on Hamas negotiators in Qatar and Russia’s drone incursion into Polish airspace — raised fresh questions over whether the world is edging closer to a new global war.

In Doha, Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of committing “state terror” by targeting Hamas leaders who were engaged in US-brokered ceasefire talks. The strike, which killed at least five Hamas members, has thrown hostage negotiations into disarray and drawn strong condemnation from Washington.

“He killed any hope for the remaining hostages,” al-Thani told CNN, vowing to reassess Qatar’s role as mediator. Netanyahu responded defiantly, accusing Qatar of harboring terrorists and warning, “If you don’t bring them to justice, we will.”

The attack — unprecedented on Qatari soil — has rattled Gulf capitals and cast doubt on fragile diplomatic efforts. Former US President Donald Trump, whose administration was involved in the mediation, distanced himself from the strike, writing online that it was Netanyahu’s decision alone.

Meanwhile, in Europe, tensions soared as Poland scrambled NATO air defences after dozens of Russian drones violated its airspace overnight. At least three drones were shot down by Polish and allied forces, while four airports, including two in Warsaw, were forced to close.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared the country was “closer to military conflict than at any time since the Second World War.” He described the incident as a “large-scale provocation,” and NATO allies rushed to offer reinforcements, with the UK considering deploying Typhoon jets and Dutch F-35s already engaged in the interception mission.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged NATO to respond firmly, warning Moscow would escalate further if unchecked.

“Today was another step in escalation — not one drone by mistake, but at least eight targeting Poland,” he said.

Russia denied deliberately striking Polish territory but offered consultations with Warsaw.

The twin crises — one in the Middle East, the other on NATO’s eastern flank — are fueling alarm over a dangerous global trajectory. Analysts warn that with ceasefire talks in Gaza collapsing and NATO airspace breached, the world may be inching toward its most volatile period since the Cold War.