Israel’s recent strike on the Qatari capital was not just another act of aggression. It was a multilayered scandal, a violation of Arab skies, and—ironically—a political gift to the very movement it sought to eliminate. The attempted assassination of the Hamas leadership in Doha exposes Israel’s recklessness, the paralysis of Arab defenses, and the double standards of Washington’s allies.
For Israeli warplanes to travel nearly 1,800 kilometers, crossing multiple Arab states, and launch precision missiles on Doha without interception is a scandal of historic proportions. Radars that normally awaken to track Iranian planes or Yemeni drones went silent. Missiles that stand ready against Tehran’s signals fell asleep when Tel Aviv’s jets passed through. The question remains: who gave permission?
This was no routine Israeli operation. Whoever opened the skies shares in the crime. Yet the direct victim was Qatar—a state hosting negotiations under US sponsorship. By targeting its capital, “Israel” not only struck Hamas but also insulted Doha’s sovereignty in the most public way.
Netanyahu’s Calculations—and Washington’s Shadow
“Israel” justified the strike as retaliation for Monday’s Al-Quds attack, but the threats against Hamas leaders abroad had been made long before. Netanyahu used the moment to escalate his “beheading” strategy, gambling that no Arab government would block him.
But the strike also sabotaged an active US-backed mediation. Negotiations sponsored by Qatar and Egypt were already in advanced stages, built on a proposal carried by Washington’s envoy and endorsed by President Trump. Israel’s action undermined this very framework, embarrassing Washington as much as it angered Doha.
Hamas holds the US administration jointly responsible for the attack, given its continued backing of Israel’s aggression.
The US insists it was notified only minutes before the attack. Yet with its massive Al-Udeid base in Qatar, the idea that Washington did not know earlier strains credibility. At best, it looked negligent; at worst, complicit. For Doha, this was a bitter reminder: the same base that once threatened Iran was blind when Israel’s warplanes crossed.
Qatar Draws a Line—But with Limits
Qatar’s official reaction was fierce. Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani condemned the strike as “state terrorism,” vowing that Doha would not compromise on sovereignty and announcing legal measures. He accused Netanyahu of dragging the region toward catastrophe and reaffirmed Qatar’s right to respond.
Yet the reality cannot be ignored: by hosting the largest US base in the Middle East, Qatar has tied its own security to Washington’s will. When Iran sought to respond to American aggression in the past, Doha allowed its soil to be used as a launchpad for US operations. Now, when Israeli jets used Arab skies to bomb Doha, Washington’s protection was nowhere to be found. Sovereignty compromised in one direction will eventually be compromised in all directions.
The attack claimed the lives of several members of Hamas and a member of Qatar’s security forces, underscoring the grave violation of Doha’s sovereignty.
Despite the loss of lives, Hamas confirmed that the enemy failed to assassinate its negotiating delegation, enabling the resistance movement to preserve its political legitimacy while confronting the aggression.
According to Hamas representative in Iran, Khaled Qaddoumi, Israel’s attack on the group’s leaders in Doha was unsuccessful, with every leader unharmed. pic.twitter.com/qGD2fy5Maj
— Highlights (@highlightsnews1) September 9, 2025
The Gift to Hamas
Paradoxically, the strike resolved a political dilemma for Hamas. The movement had been under pressure to take a position on Trump’s ceasefire proposal—a plan designed around Israeli interests. Rejecting it risked accusations of intransigence; accepting it risked alienating its supporters.
The failed strike freed Hamas from this bind. The priority shifted from political maneuvering to survival in the face of aggression. Far from being portrayed as detached leaders “living in Qatar hotels,” Hamas’s delegation was shown to be directly under fire, sharing the same dangers as their people in Gaza. This will only deepen solidarity with the movement at home and abroad.
The Doha strike was meant to project strength. Instead, it revealed Israel’s recklessness, exposed the vulnerability of Washington’s allies, and backfired politically. Militarily, it failed. Diplomatically, it embarrassed the US and destabilized its own Gulf partners.
In trying to assassinate resistance abroad, “Israel” has only amplified its cause. Doha became a stage where multiple truths converged: the betrayal of Arab skies, the fragility of US guarantees, and the resilience of resistance.
For Qatar, the lesson is bitter. By entrusting its sovereignty to Washington, it found itself betrayed at the very moment it most needed protection. For the region, the lesson is clearer still: the path of reliance on America only leads to humiliation, while the path of resistance remains the only shield against Israel’s missiles.
While Lebanese leaders like Nawaf Salam and Joseph Aoun rely on American guarantees to protect their country, the largest US base in Qatar failed to shield Doha from Israeli aggression. Even more striking, Qatar, which had gifted Trump the most expensive plane in the world along with a billion dollars as a token of friendship, reportedly received the green light from the same US administration for the strike on its own capital. This stark contrast exposes the fragility of US guarantees, the duplicity of its alliances, and the cold calculus of power in the region—reminding all that protection promised on paper often evaporates when imperial interests align with aggression. Meanwhile, the people of the south of Lebanon and the rest of the region remain vulnerable to the same manipulations and deceptions!
Source: Al-Manar English Website
