Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas political leaders in Qatar on Tuesday, killing 5 of its members, because the militant group’s prime figures gathered to contemplate a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The strike on the territory of a U.S. ally marked a shocking escalation and risked upending talks meant to wind down the battle and free the remaining hostages.
Hamas mentioned that 5 of its members had been killed within the assault, together with the son of Hamas’s exiled Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya. However it mentioned Israel had failed in what it referred to as an try to assassinate the group’s ceasefire negotiation staff.
The assault angered Qatar, an energy-rich Gulf nation internet hosting hundreds of American troops that has served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas all through and earlier than the 23-month battle. It condemned what it known as a “flagrant violation of all worldwide legal guidelines and norms” as smoke rose over its capital, Doha.
The USA mentioned Israel alerted it earlier than the strike, however American officers sought to distance the U.S. from the assault. White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt advised reporters that Center East envoy Steve Witkoff handed alongside a warning to the Qataris.
She mentioned U.S. President Donald Trump believes the Israeli strike was an “unlucky incident” that did not advance peace within the area. She mentioned Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “made his ideas and considerations very clear.”
Qatar’s international ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari responded saying reviews of the nation being knowledgeable beforehand have been false and that the decision obtained from one of many U.S. officers was when the sound of explosions have been heard.
UN Secretary Normal António Guterres, who was set to discuss the dangers of elevated army spending on Tuesday, spoke briefly concerning the Israeli strike on a web site in Doha, condemning the assault and once more urging all events to work towards a ceasefire within the battle between Israel and Hamas.
United Nations Secretary-Normal António Guterres condemned the strikes on Tuesday, saying they have been a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar.
“All events should work in the direction of reaching a everlasting ceasefire, not destroying it,” Guterres advised reporters.
Hamas has survived quite a few assassinations of prime leaders and remains to be intact in Gaza, regardless of having suffered main blows for the reason that outbreak of the battle in October 2023.
The way forward for the long-stalled ceasefire talks was extra unsure as Israel gears up for a significant offensive aimed toward taking up Gaza Metropolis. That escalation has been met with heavy worldwide condemnation and opposition inside Israel from those that worry it is going to doom the remaining hostages.
Israel has lengthy threatened to strike Hamas leaders wherever they’re. Whereas it has typically welcomed Qatar’s position as a mediator, alongside Egypt, it has additionally accused the Gulf nation of not placing sufficient strain on the group.
In distinction to earlier Israeli operations in opposition to senior militants overseas, Netanyahu was fast to publicly declare the strike, saying: “Israel initiated it, Israel performed it and Israel takes full accountability.”
He mentioned the choice was taken Monday after a shooting attack in Jerusalem that killed six folks and an assault on Israeli forces in Gaza that killed 4 troopers.
The army mentioned it used “exact munitions and extra intelligence” within the strike, with out elaborating.
Qatar condemned what it known as a “cowardly Israeli assault” on Hamas’ political headquarters in Doha. Overseas Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari mentioned Qatar “won’t tolerate this reckless Israeli habits.”
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar mentioned that it had instituted a shelter-in-place order for its amenities earlier than lifting it shortly after.
Ceasefire negotiations in query
Earlier this week, Trump mentioned he was giving his “final warning” to Hamas concerning a potential ceasefire, because the U.S. superior a brand new proposal that Arab officers mentioned included the rapid launch of all of the hostages.
A senior Hamas official referred to as it a “humiliating give up doc,” however the militant group mentioned it could talk about the proposal and reply inside days.
An Egyptian official mentioned the strike got here when a gathering by Hamas officers over the talks had been scheduled for the location. The official spoke on situation of anonymity, as a result of he wasn’t licensed to speak to reporters.
The proposal, introduced by Witkoff, requires a negotiated finish of the battle and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza as soon as the hostages are launched and a ceasefire is established. That is in response to Egyptian and Hamas officers conversant in the talks, who spoke on situation of anonymity to debate the closed-door discussions.
Frank Lowenstein, former U.S. Particular Envoy for Center East Peace, says Israel’s transfer Tuesday alerts a transparent message.
“While you begin killing negotiators within Qatar, you are primarily saying not solely are these negotiations lifeless, however the primary middleman most likely will not be taking part in a significant position going ahead,” Lowenstein advised CBC Information Community.
Hamas has mentioned it is going to solely launch the remaining 48 hostages, round 20 of whom are believed to be alive, in trade for Palestinian prisoners, an enduring ceasefire and a whole Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu has rejected these phrases, saying the battle will proceed till all of the hostages are returned and Hamas has been disarmed, with Israel sustaining open-ended safety management over Gaza.
Mediators had beforehand centered on brokering a short lived ceasefire and the discharge of some hostages, with the 2 sides then holding talks on a extra everlasting truce. Witkoff walked away from these talks in July, after which Hamas accepted a proposal that the mediators mentioned was nearly equivalent to an earlier one Israel had authorised.
Worldwide outrage
The battle in Gaza has already left Israel more and more remoted internationally, with even a lot of its Western allies calling for it to finish the battle and do extra to deal with the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, elements of that are experiencing famine.
Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates’ international minister, expressed “full solidarity with our expensive Qatar” shortly after the assault.
CCTV footage, which was posted to social media and verified by Reuters, reveals the rapid aftermath of an Israeli strike on a constructing in Doha, Qatar, with flames and a billowing black cloud of smoke.
The United Arab Emirates lately warned Israel that any transfer to annex the occupied West Financial institution would threatened the Abraham Accords, a landmark settlement brokered by Trump throughout his first time period by which the 2 nations normalized relations.
Trump hopes to develop these accords to incorporate regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, however these prospects have dimmed because the battle has floor on.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described the strike as a “felony act and a flagrant violation of worldwide regulation” in a telephone name with Qatar’s ruler.
