Israeli ambassador vows more attacks after failed Hamas assassination
By isabelle // 2025-09-11
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  • Israel’s failed airstrike in Qatar killed six civilians while missing Hamas leaders, sparking global condemnation and diplomatic fallout.
  • Israeli officials defiantly vowed to continue targeting Hamas anywhere, dismissing criticism and risking further regional instability.
  • The attack threatens fragile ceasefire talks, with Qatar reassessing its role as mediator amid Netanyahu’s demands to expel Hamas.
  • Israel’s escalating strikes across multiple Arab nations deepen a humanitarian crisis, with Gaza deaths surpassing 64,000 since October 2023.
  • Unchecked aggression risks isolating Israel as allies reconsider support, but its leadership remains undeterred, betting on U.S. backing and military dominance.
When Israeli airstrikes hit a residential building in Doha, Qatar, the mission was clear: assassinate Hamas leaders negotiating a ceasefire. But the operation failed, killing six people—including a Qatari security officer—while missing its high-value targets. Now, instead of expressing remorse, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, doubled down, declaring on Fox News: “If we didn’t get them this time, we’ll get them the next time.” The strike, widely condemned as a violation of international law, drew sharp rebukes from Qatar, the White House, and even some of Israel’s Western allies. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani called it a “heinous crime” and “act of aggression,” while Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of pursuing “narcissistic delusions” at the expense of regional stability. Yet Leiter dismissed the backlash with a wave of the hand. “Right now, we may be subject to a little bit of criticism. They’ll get over it,” he told Fox News, framing Israel’s actions as a necessary fight against “enemies of Western civilization.”

A bloodthirsty stance

The attack came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump assured Qatari leaders that such strikes “will not happen again on their soil.” Trump, a staunch Israel ally, publicly criticized the operation, writing on social media that “unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States… does not advance Israel or America’s goals.” But Leiter’s defiance suggests Israel has no intention of heeding those concerns. Instead, the ambassador framed the strike as part of a broader campaign to “defeat Islamic extremism,” regardless of diplomatic fallout. Hamas confirmed that its top leaders—including Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya—survived the assassination attempt. The group’s political wing has been operating in Qatar under an informal truce, with Doha serving as a mediator in ceasefire talks. Now, those negotiations hang by a thread. Qatari officials are “reassessing everything,” al-Thani told CNN, hinting at potential consequences for Israel’s regional standing. Meanwhile, Netanyahu escalated his rhetoric, demanding Qatar “expel or prosecute” Hamas officials or face further strikes. “If you don’t, we will,” he warned during a speech commemorating the 9/11 attacks. Israel’s strike on Doha wasn’t an isolated incident. In the past month alone, Israeli forces have launched attacks in at least five Arab countries, including a Wednesday strike on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, targeting Houthi defense ministry sites. The Houthis, aligned with Hamas, have vowed retaliation for Israel’s campaign in Gaza, where local authorities report over 64,000 deaths—mostly civilians—since October 2023. The humanitarian crisis has grown so severe that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to sanction “extremist” Israeli ministers and suspend trade measures, citing “catastrophic” conditions in Gaza. Yet Leiter’s comments reveal a government undeterred by global condemnation. “We have put terrorists on notice, wherever they may be… we’re going to pursue them, and we’re going to destroy those who will destroy us,” he declared at a U.S. Capitol event marking the fifth anniversary of the Abraham Accords. His words echo a broader strategy: Israel will act unilaterally, consequences be damned.

The cost of unchecked aggression

The strike’s timing was particularly provocative. It followed Hamas’s claim of responsibility for a Jerusalem bus stop shooting that killed six Israelis—an act of retaliation for Israel’s ongoing offensive. But by targeting Hamas officials in a third country, Israel risked collapsing the very ceasefire talks Qatar has brokered, ignoring the fact that Doha’s mediation has been critical to past hostage releases. The fallout has already begun. Arab states, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, rushed to show solidarity with Qatar, signaling a potential shift in regional alliances. Even Germany, a longtime Israel supporter, indicated openness to EU sanctions. Yet Israel’s leadership remains undeterred, betting that its military dominance—and U.S. backing—will insulate it from repercussions. For now, Israel’s calculus seems simple: eliminate Hamas at any cost, even if it means alienating allies, violating sovereignty, and deepening a humanitarian catastrophe. But history suggests such defiance carries a price. The 2006 Lebanon War, launched with similar confidence, ended in strategic failure for Israel. Today, as Hamas retains its fighting capacity and regional tensions flare, the question isn’t whether Israel will face consequences—but when. Leiter’s “next time” threat isn’t just a promise of more strikes. It’s a gamble that the world will, as he put it, “get over it.” But with each civilian death, each shattered ceasefire, and each ignored red line, the stakes grow higher. The only certainty? The bloodshed won’t stop until someone forces it to. Sources for this article include: RT.com AlJazeera.com ABC.net.au Reuters.com
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