In its ongoing war against Hamas, Israel has repeatedly seen its demands for the return of all the hostages held by jihadis effectively rebuffed. While a few have been released here and there, Hamas leadership has stubbornly refused to return them all. This ensures that the war Hamas started continues.
Furthermore, after Hamas-connected jihadis attacked Israeli civilians in Jerusalem, killing at least six on Monday, the Israeli leadership evidently decided enough was enough. It struck the senior Hamas leadership that has been living in Qatar.
Four Hamas leaders — Nizar Awadallah, Mohammed Darwish, Zaher Jabarin, and Khaled Mashaal — were targeted in an air strike in Doha, Qatar, which the Israel Defense Forces described as “a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization.”
According to the IDF, “For years, these members of the Hamas leadership have led the terrorist organization’s operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7 massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel.”
It has yet to be confirmed whether any or all of these Hamas leaders have been killed.
This is an unusual situation, as Qatar is an American ally. And, of course, Qatar’s government has expressed its protest of Israel’s action, calling it “reckless” and a “blatant violation” of its sovereignty and international law.
American officials said they were alerted to Israel’s action, but only as the strikes “were being launched”; they had no other knowledge of the plan. This was confirmed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who emphasized that the strike was a “wholly independent Israeli operation. Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”
Interestingly, the strike did come a day after Donald Trump issued his “last warning” to Hamas over the group’s refusal to accept terms for a peace deal, terms that Hamas referred to as a “humiliating surrender document.” As Trump posted: “This is my last warning, there will not be another one!”
Yet following the news, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared to throw cold water on Israel’s action, stating, “Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals.” She further noted, “The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States, and feels very badly about the location of this attack.”
The response from Trump and his spokeswoman may be a perfunctory objection to placate an ally with a wink toward another one.
After all, Qatar has long acted as a haven for Hamas’s senior leaders, who have effectively lived like kings, enriching themselves on money poured into the organization under the supposed guise of humanitarian relief.
Indeed, Leavitt conceded, “Eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.”
