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Israel’s ambassador Yechiel Leiter defends airstrike on Hamas leaders in Qatar which sparked global fallout and concerns over Gaza ceasefire efforts.
This frame grab shows smoke billowing after explosions in Doha’s capital Qatar on September 9. (AFP photo)
Israel’s ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter defended his country’s airstrike on Hamas political leaders in Qatar, saying that if Israel failed to kill them this time, “it will succeed next time.” His remarks came after the attack raised fears it could derail fragile ceasefire efforts in Gaza. The Israeli strike targeted Hamas’s top political leadership in the Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday night, a move widely condemned as a dangerous escalation in the conflict. The air raid followed a Hamas-claimed shooting in Jerusalem on Monday that killed six people at a bus stop.
“Right now, we may be subject to a little bit of criticism. They’ll get over it. And Israel is being changed for the better,” Yechiel Leiter said.
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Hamas said five of its members were killed, including the son of senior negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, though its top leaders survived. Qatar confirmed that one of its security personnel also died in the strike, calling Israel “treacherous” and accusing it of “state terrorism.”
Regional And Global Fallout After Israeli Strikes In Qatar
Leaders from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Saudi Arabia traveled to Doha in a show of solidarity with Qatar while the European Commission announced plans to propose sanctions on hardline Israeli ministers and suspend certain trade-related measures with Israel, citing its conduct of the war.
The US, Israel’s closest ally, distanced itself from the Doha strike as Washington described it as a unilateral action that did not advance American or Israeli interests and said the impact on ongoing ceasefire negotiations was uncertain.
“The honest answer is, we simply don’t know,” US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Reuters.
Israel’s War Expands Beyond Gaza
The Doha operation came as Israel intensified its offensive in Gaza, urging Palestinians to leave Gaza City ahead of what it signaled would be a major assault. Since Hamas’ October 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 hostage, Israel’s military response has left more than 64,000 people dead in Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities, and reduced large parts of the enclave to rubble.
Israel
September 10, 2025, 18:15 IST
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