soldier

International Condemnation Follows Israeli Strike in qatar Targeting Hamas ​Leaders

Following an attack on Jerusalem and the deaths of ⁣four Israeli soldiers⁢ in Gaza, Israel conducted a strike in Doha, Qatar, targeting Hamas leaders. The attack‌ has sparked⁢ international criticism and raised questions about the extent⁢ of prior⁤ warning given to Qatari officials.

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, characterized the attack as a “100% betrayal,” stating⁤ that US officials only provided a warning‍ ten​ minutes before⁣ the strike commenced. The Qatar Foreign Ministry previously dismissed claims of⁣ advance ⁤knowledge⁢ of the operation as “baseless,” noting a call from ⁤US officials⁤ coincided with‌ the sound of explosions from the ​Israeli attack within doha.

Former US President Donald Trump, via his social media platform Truth Social, asserted his administration ⁢attempted ⁣to warn Qatar but that the notification came “sadly…too late to stop the attack.” He emphasized ⁤the decision to strike Hamas leaders ‌in ​Qatar was ​solely that⁢ of ⁣Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating, “This is the decision ‌of Prime Minister​ Netanyahu, not my decision.” Trump detailed dispatching ⁣a special ​messenger, Steve Witkoff, to deliver the warning, expressing regret over the attack’s⁢ location ⁢while reaffirming his view that⁢ “destroying Hamas, who has taken advantage of the‌ suffering ⁢of Gazans, is a‌ decent ⁣goal.” he claimed to ⁣have secured assurances from Qatari leadership that such an incident would ‍not recur ⁣and announced his intention to expedite a defense cooperation agreement with Qatar‌ through Foreign​ Affairs⁢ Minister Marco Rubio.

Germany also voiced​ strong disapproval. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz communicated to Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that the violation of Qatari sovereignty was “unacceptable.” He lauded Qatar’s ⁣mediation​ efforts in the Gaza conflict, aimed at⁤ securing a ⁤ceasefire and the⁤ release of⁣ hostages, and cautioned against the potential for wider⁤ regional conflict.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul ​released a⁣ statement emphasizing the attack’s threat to hostage release efforts and expressing concern⁤ for the​ safety of all‍ hostages,including German citizens. ‍Wadephul ‍reiterated the⁤ call ​for Hamas to disarm and cease ⁤”acts of terror against the state of Israel,” while acknowledging the attack stemmed from ‌Hamas’s initial terrorist attack on Israel on October⁤ 7, 2023. Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, has⁤ recently begun to publicly question Israel’s actions ⁤in Gaza, particularly concerning ‌the⁤ escalating ‌humanitarian crisis affecting civilians.