Berlin - US President Donald Trump warned Palestinian terrorists, but they refused to listen. Now Israel has attacked the Hamas leadership in luxury exile in Qatar.
On Sunday, Trump made it clear that he is losing patience with the Palestinian Islamists, who for more than 700 days have refused to release all Israeli hostages and lay down their weapons in Gaza. Because then the war could end immediately.
The US President drafted a new proposal for a deal between Israel and Hamas and subsequently wrote on his"Truth Social" platform: "Everyone wants the hostages home. Everyone wants this war to end! The Israelis have accepted my terms. It's time for Hamas to accept them, too."
▶︎ He then addressed the leadership of the Palestinian terrorist organization directly: "I have warned Hamas of the consequences of a refusal. This is my final warning; there will be no more!"
And indeed, when the terrorists—unlike the Israeli government—did not immediately accept the proposed deal, the Israeli Air Force struck against the Hamas leadership in the Qatari capital, Doha. According to Israeli media reports, the US was informed, and the White House had approved the attack plans. The White House confirmed in the evening that it had been informed.
However, according to the American news agency AP, the White House reportedly warned Qatar about the attack. The White House also reportedly described the attack on the Hamas terrorists as a"regrettable incident." It did not advance peace in the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously emphasized that Israel had acted alone, with his office stating:"Today's action against the top terrorist leaders of Hamas was a completely independent Israeli operation. Israel initiated it, Israel carried it out, and Israel takes full responsibility."
Peter Neumann (50, King's College London) assesses that the US probably knew"that the Israelis were up to something." But, Neumann continues in the RONZHEIMER podcast:"I believe it's in their interest—also to other parties in the region—to say that they didn't know any details." The expert could even imagine that the US wasn't involved in the plan at all: "One must not forget: Qatar is home to the largest American military base in the entire Middle East."
According to Israeli journalists, Hamas leaders Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, both members of the terrorist organization's"Politburo," were attacked. Al-Hayya was recently Hamas's chief negotiator in negotiations with Israel—whether he survived is still unclear. Hamas itself announced in the evening that all terrorist leaders survived the attack, but five lower-ranking members were killed.
For years, part of the Hamas leadership has lived in Qatar. The Palestinian Islamists enjoyed a life of luxury there and amassed billions while planning attacks on the Jewish state, plunging their own people into misery.
Germany sharply criticized the Israeli attack: Chancellor Friedrich Merz (69, CDU) declared in a telephone conversation with the Qatari Emir that the"violation of Qatar's sovereignty and territorial integrity by today's Israeli attack" was "unacceptable." He added that the war must not spread to the entire region, and that the German government was"also in close contact with the Israeli government" on this issue.
