If there was any remaining doubt, on Monday Israel made clear that it does not want a peaceful settlement to its war on Gaza, launching an air strike on Hamas officials in Qatar’s capital, Doha.
Five members of the group and a Qatari official were killed, but the attack does not appear to have gone as planned. The group’s top leadership, including its exiled Gaza leader and chief ceasefire negotiator, who was reportedly the intended target, survived.
Regardless, the impact has been massive. The White House has attempted to distance itself from the strike – even appearing somewhat critical of Israel – but Donald Trump’s suggestion that he was not involved in the decision to launch it is risible. The US has an advanced air defence warning system staffed by its own personnel in Israel and other tracking systems in Jordan, while Qatar houses the US’s largest Air Force base in the Middle East.
