JERUSALEM: If Israel failed to kill Hamas leaders in an airstrike on Qatar on Tuesday (Sep 9), it would succeed next time, the Israeli ambassador to the United States said after the operation, which raised concerns it would torpedo efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.

"We have put terrorists on notice, wherever they may be.... we're going to pursue them, and we're going to destroy those who will destroy us," Yechiel Leiter said in a speech at the US Capitol complex on Wednesday.

Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with the attack in the Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday, escalating its military action in the Middle East in what the US described as a unilateral attack that does not advance American and Israeli interests.

The airstrike took place shortly after Hamas claimed responsibility for a shooting on Monday that killed six people at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

The widely condemned Doha operation was especially sensitive because Qatar has been hosting and mediating in negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in the Gaza war.

The Wall Street Journal reported United States President Donald Trump had a heated call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, telling him his decision to target Hamas inside Qatar was not wise.

DIPLOMATIC ISSUES

In his speech at an event marking the fifth anniversary of the Abraham Accords, which normalised relations between Israel and some Muslim-majority countries, Leiter criticised Qatar.

"What is Qatar doing if not financing and supporting terrorism by playing host to Hamas, the very people who sent the terrorists who murdered six people sitting at a bus stop in Jerusalem waiting to go about their business?" Leiter said.

The UN Security Council postponed a planned Wednesday meeting until Thursday at the request of Qatar so the country’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, could attend.

Al-Thani told CNN on Wednesday that a response to Israel's attacks was being discussed with regional partners and leaders would meet in Doha in the near future. When asked if Doha would shut down Hamas' political office, he said his government was"reassessing everything" about what steps it would take.

"We are in a very detailed conversation with the United States' government and we need to understand what will be the way forward," he said.

ISRAEL STRIKES HOUTHIS IN YEMEN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defied global condemnation of operations like the one that struck Doha, extending military operations across the Middle East and severely weakening Israel's Iran-backed enemies since Hamas attacked Israel in 2023.

On Wednesday, Israel struck the Yemeni capital Sanaa, after killing Houthi Prime Minister Ahmad Ghaleb al-Rahwi and other senior figures in an attack in August.

Witnesses said the Wednesday attack targeted the Houthi defence ministry. Israeli Army Radio reported that Houthi headquarters and military camps were among the targets.

The Israeli military confirmed it had attacked Yemen.

The Houthis have attacked vessels in the Red Sea in what they describe as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians since the beginning of the war in Gaza.

LEADER'S SON KILLED, ARAB DIPLOMACY

Hamas said five of its members had been killed in the attack, including the son of its exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya. It said its top leaders survived.

The attack generated a flurry of diplomacy between Arab states.

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Qatar on Wednesday, UAE state news agency WAM reported.

Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein was also expected in Qatar, while Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was expected in Doha on Thursday, an official with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

The visits were a show of regional solidarity with Qatar following the Israeli strikes, the official said.

The European Commission will propose sanctioning extremist Israeli ministers and the suspension of trade-related measures in a European Union agreement with Israel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

The proposals reflect growing EU criticism of Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza and increased pressure on the bloc's executive body to take action.

Germany, one of Israel's staunchest supporters, has taken note of proposals targeting Israel and will participate in a dialogue about future measures, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said.

The Doha airstrike followed an Israeli warning to Palestinians to leave Gaza City, an area once home to about a million people, as it tries to destroy what is left of Hamas.

IMPACT ON CEASEFIRE TALKS UNCLEAR, US SAYS

Asked how the strike would affect ceasefire negotiations, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said he did not know.

"Hamas has rejected everything so far. They continually reject every offer that's put on the table," he told Reuters.

The militant group, which has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades but now controls only parts of the enclave, on Saturday once again said that it would release all hostages if Israel agreed to end the war and withdraw its forces from Gaza.

Netanyahu is pushing for an all-or-nothing deal that would see all of the hostages released at once and Hamas surrendering.

The Oct 7, 2023, Hamas attack killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and 251 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's military response in Gaza killed over 64,000 people, also mostly civilians, according to local health authorities, and reduced the Palestinian enclave to rubble.

Analysts said Netanyahu is seeking to remain in power after the next election.

Ryan Bohl, senior Middle East and North Africa analyst at global risk intelligence firm RANE Network, said Netanyahu is likely to lose unless he secures"a decisive military victory" over Hamas, a scenario that would require taking new kinds of risks.

"That's one driver towards this attack - trying to assassinate Hamas leadership, to see if they can finally break Hamas’ resolve to continue fighting in the Gaza Strip," he told CNA's Asia First.

"Netanyahu wants a complete military victory. He's not going to accept a partial military victory that has hostages exchanged and leaves Hamas in the Gaza Strip in some capacity."

Bohl added that another driver is that the US has so far not shown a willingness to sanction or impose penalties on Israel, despite its repeated breaches of red lines.

"After all, they've attacked Iran; they struck embassies; they've assassinated prominent militant leaders across the region," he noted.

"All of that has not resulted in a substantial pushback, and so those two trends combined are giving a window of opportunity for Netanyahu to carry out behaviour like this."