Read our editorial on Israel’s failed strategy of assassinations here.
On Tuesday, Israel bombed a residential building in Qatar in an attempt to assassinate Hamas’s political leadership and negotiating delegation for a ceasefire. The attack took place in Qatar’s capital, Doha, and killed 4 members of Hamas, the son of the chief negotiator Dr. Khalil al-Hayyah, a member of Qatar’s internal security forces, and injured a number of civilians. However, Hamas reported that the attack failed to kill its intended targets and the negotiating delegation is still intact. Israel bombed the delegation shortly after it arrived in Doha to discuss Trump’s latest Gaza ceasefire proposal.
Condemnations of the Attack
Hamas immediately released a statement condemning the attack, calling it “a heinous crime, a blatant act of aggression, and a flagrant violation of all norms and international laws.”
The statement exposed the nature of the attack and the US’s role in it: “The targeting of the negotiating delegation, at the very moment it was discussing the latest proposal of U.S. President Donald Trump, confirms beyond any doubt that Netanyahu and his government do not seek any agreement….
“We hold the U.S. administration jointly responsible with the occupation for this crime, due to its continuous support for aggression and for the crimes of the occupation against our people.”
The statement concluded with a vow to continue fighting for their just demands: “We affirm that these terrorist crimes will not break the resolve of our movement and leadership, nor will they deter us from holding firmly to our people’s national rights and continuing on the path of resistance until the occupation is removed from our land and our independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital is established.”
Palestinian resistance factions also released a joint statement condemning the attack and the failures of Israel’s assassination policy: “We affirm that the cowardly zionist assassination policy against the leaders of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the leaders of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, is a clear expression of the state of helplessness and failure that this fascist criminal enemy has reached in the face of the legendary steadfastness and resilience of Hamas’s leadership and the Palestinian delegation, and the resistance of our people, especially after the painful operation in occupied Al-Quds and the blessed strikes of the resistance in Gaza. This reflects the continuous extent of the enemy’s failure against the determination and solid will of our people’s heroes.”
The US is Mainly Responsible
While Israel claimed the operation happened independently of the US, Trump claimed to have knowledge of the attack, writing on social media that he intended to “inform the Qataris of the impending attack” but did so too late. He also wrote that “I believe this unfortunate incident could serve as an opportunity for PEACE”, without specifying how the Zionist bombing of a ceasefire delegation would do so. He concluded his post by saying that an attack on Qatar “will not happen again”. However, Israel has already stated they will try to assassinate the delegation again.
According to Israeli media, Trump approved the attack on Hamas in Qatar, pointing out that the US controls Qatari airspace and therefore required US approval and coordination.
Qatar has served as the primary mediator between the Palestinian resistance factions, led by Hamas, and the US-Israel. The Gulf country has hosted an office for Hamas at the request of the US. Qatar’s prime minister stated that they will continue to mediate while condemning Israel’s attack.
Despite such condemnation, Qatar has and continues to facilitate US and Israeli attacks across the region. Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East, CENTCOM, just 22 miles away from the site of the attack, which has served as a launching pad for military support to Israel. In June, Iran successfully penetrated US defenses and struck CENTCOM with missiles as part of their defensive actions in the “12 Day War” of US-Zionist aggression against the country.
Qatar is just one of six countries Israel has attacked over the past three days, which also includes Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, and Tunisia. In Gaza and Yemen, resistance fighters have carried out successful counterattacks. The attacks on Tunisia involved the bombing of two ships organized with the Global Sumud Flotilla, which carries activists toward Gaza in an attempt to deliver aid and break Israel’s siege while raising awareness of the blockade and genocide. The activists remain undeterred, and will continue their journey.
Photo: Aftermath of Israeli bombing of Doha, Qatar. Retrieved from Palestine Chronicle.
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