Qatar condemned Sunday a comment from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting establishing a Palestinian state inside Saudi territory, the Qatari foreign ministry said in statement.

Qatar, a key mediator in Gaza ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel, described Netanyahu's statement as "provocative."

Netanyahu appeared to be joking Thursday when he responded to an interviewer on pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 who mistakenly said "Saudi state" instead of "Palestinian state," before correcting himself.