By Zo Terrana
Staff Writer
An Israeli bomb attack on the Middle Eastern country of Qatar, directed at Hamas political leaders, has led to the deployment of Qatari security forces to search through the rubble.
According to the AP, at least six people in the area were killed by the strike on Sept 9. Hamas has stated that its top leader survived the Israeli attack; however, five lower-level members of Hamas have died.
The Qatari neighborhood that was struck was home to foreign embassies and schools, provoking outrage from other Middle Eastern nations, specifically Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, according to AP News. This strike on a U.S. ally was seen to derail negotiations of a ceasefire and the return of Hamas hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu balked at the recent criticism of his country's strike on Qatar, stating, “I say to Qatar and all nations who harbor terrorists, you either expel them or you bring them to justice. Because if you don’t, we will.”
However, according to NPR, various Israeli officials have stated that the Qatari missile strikes may not have killed the intended targets.
Netanyahu is said to have overseen the operation with various senior leaders from the Israeli military and domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet. This operation, which caught Qatari military officials off guard, was able to avoid radar systems by using advanced aircraft technology, according to NPR.
This attack attracted the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump, who stated he was “very unhappy” about Israel's decision to attack Qatar.
After the attack, President Trump called the Qatari Emir, who is the head of state, in an effort to condemn the Israeli attack and reassure Qatar that there was no coordination with Israel to make the bombing successful. Al Thani stated that the attack was directed at Hamas’ negotiating team as it was in Qatar to look over a U.S. proposal for ending the war, NPR stated.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Sept. 14 to discuss the future of the war and to seek a path forward, according to the Independent. The Israel trip by Rubio lasted two days, which was preceded by mounting tension within the Middle East due to the Israeli attack on the Hamas headquarters in Qatar.
Both President Trump and Rubio met with the Qatari Prime Minister on Sept. 12 to discuss possible repercussions on Israel for their attack. These foreign meetings with two Middle Eastern allies show that the U.S. has been involved in a balancing act with two strategic countries regarding the rising tensions in the Middle East.
According to the Independent, ceasefire negotiations with Israel and Hamas have withered due to the Qatari bomb operation by Israel, and will have consequences on the hostage situation in Gaza. Even with Israel conducting an air force operation on a U.S. ally, the Jewish state hasn't relinquished its military efforts on the Gazan people.
According to local Gazan hospitals, at least 13 Palestinians were killed and dozens were wounded by Israeli strikes on Sept 14. The continuous assault on Gaza has led to more than 64,000 dead Palestinians, according to PBS.
