Israeli Chief of Staff: Qatar attack part of Israel’s efforts to hold enemies accountable
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir affirmed that Israel will continue to work to implement what he described as “holding the enemies accountable,” stressing that the Israeli army will continue to carry out its missions “in any place and to any extent, near or far”.
Zamir’s statements came in response to the Doha attack, which included Israel targeting leaders of Hamas, on Tuesday.
The Israeli military said in a statement, “The IDF and Shin Bet, using air power, attacked the leadership of the Hamas movement with precision”.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported on Wednesday, citing a security source, that the Qatari attack likely didn’t achieve the desired result.
The Israeli attack in Doha had been planned for weeks, noting that the Shin Bet security service was awaiting the final results of the attack in Qatar.
According to an Israeli Air Force official, “No one in the building in Doha could have survived”.
For his part, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned, “Our hand will reach Hamas leaders everywhere, and they won’t be able to hide,” vowing to destroy Gaza and Hamas leaders “if they don’t accept our conditions for ending the war”.
The Israeli defense minister added, “Everyone who participated in October 7 will pay the full price”.
This comes as Israeli Broadcasting reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to carry out the Doha attack despite objections from security leaders regarding the timing.
For his part, Israel’s ambassador to the United States said that Israel would continue targeting Hamas leaders, noting, “If the strike in Doha missed any targets, it will hit them next time”.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli attack that targeted the residential headquarters of several members of Hamas’s political bureau in Doha, saying, “The criminal Israeli attack constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms and a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents of Qatar”.
The Israeli attack resulted in the deaths of six people, including the son of Khalil al Hayya, a Hamas leader.
It was followed by strong Arab condemnations of Israel and international criticism.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday, at the request of Algeria and other countries, to discuss the attack.
It’s worth noting that Qatar, Egypt, and the United States continue to play a mediating role in the Gaza war, despite ceasefire negotiations stalling for months.
