Mossad Declined Order for Ground Operation to Eliminate Hamas Leaders in Qatar, Report Says
Doha, Qatar – Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency reportedly refused a directive to carry out a ground operation within Qatar aimed at assassinating Hamas leaders, according to sources familiar with the matter. the refusal preceded a recent airstrike in Beirut on January 2nd, 2025, which killed a senior Hamas official, Jihad Labad, Khalil al-Hayya’s son, and three other hamas members, along with a Qatari security officer, Lance Corporal Badr Saad Mohammed al-Humaidi al-Dosari.
The reported refusal highlights a significant point of contention within the Israeli security establishment regarding the potential repercussions of operating on Qatari soil. Qatar has served as a key mediator in hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas, and a ground operation could have jeopardized those efforts and severely strained relations with a crucial regional partner. the airstrike, however, still triggered a fierce diplomatic backlash against Israel, with even U.S. President Donald Trump expressing unhappiness with the operation.
Hamas had stated that al-Hayya was able to hold a ceremony for his son thanks to “special security arrangements” in Qatar, though it remains unclear if al-Hayya was present at the site of the strike. Al-Hayya leads Hamas’s hostage negotiating team. No top Hamas leaders believed to have been present at the time of the strike have been publicly seen since, as both Hamas and Qatar have maintained a tight control over information.
The strike occurred while Hamas leaders were reportedly gathered in Beirut to discuss a U.S.-proposed framework for a hostage release deal. Politico reported that the Trump management is growing frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the attempt to eliminate Hamas leaders in Qatar. Trump himself stated on Tuesday that he was “very unhappy about every aspect [of the strike]. We’ve got to get the hostages back, but I’m very unhappy about the way that went down.”
Doha will host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit next Sunday and Monday to discuss the Israeli attack, according to Qatar’s state news agency.
