Israel has carried out an attack on Hamas leadership in Qatar on Tuesday as they discussed a US proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The attack on a US ally’s territory was a startling escalation that put negotiations to resolve the conflict and release hostages at risk of being derailed.
For years, even prior to the war, Qatar, an energy-rich US ally that is home to thousands of American troops, has been a crucial mediator between Israel and Hamas.
Whether anyone was injured in the strike was not immediately known. Despite suffering severe setbacks since the conflict began because of their Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Hamas has managed to escape multiple assassinations of its senior leaders and remains intact in Gaza.
With Israel preparing for a massive offensive to seize Gaza City, the future of the long-stalled ceasefire negotiations was less certain. There has been strong international condemnation of the escalation, and there is opposition in Israel from those who believe it will endanger the remaining hostages.
According to an Israeli official and another individual with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity and were not authorised to comment publicly, the US had some warning about the strike. Questions about coordination were forwarded to the White House by Pentagon officials. Additionally, a request for comment from White House officials was not answered. The amount of warning given and if the United States approved of the strike were unclear.
The “cowardly Israeli attack” on Hamas’ political headquarters in Doha was condemned by Qatar. Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, described it as a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms.”
As the US presented a new proposal earlier this week that Arab sources claimed included the immediate release of all the hostages, US President Donald Trump said he was issuing Hamas his “last warning” about a potential ceasefire. A top Hamas official referred to it as a “humiliating surrender document,” but the militant organisation promised to review the proposal and provide a response in within days.
However, following Monday’s mass shooting in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said that Israel chose to take advantage of the “opportunity” to strike Hamas leadership in Qatar.