Israel's ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, declared at an event on Capitol Hill on 10/9, "We will pursue and eliminate those who seek to destroy us, wherever they are," referring to the Hamas leadership after Israel's attack on Qatar's capital, Doha, the previous day.
Leiter stated that if the Hamas leadership survived the attack, Tel Aviv would eliminate them next time. He also criticized Qatar for allowing the militant group to have offices in the country.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the same day called on Qatar to expel members of Hamas' political wing or "bring them to justice," warning that Tel Aviv would "do it ourselves" if Doha failed to act.
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Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter speaks to reporters in Washington in May. Photo: Reuters |
Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter speaks to reporters in Washington in May. Photo: Reuters
On 9/9, Israeli fighter jets launched missiles at Doha, aiming to assassinate Hamas leaders, shortly after the group claimed responsibility for a bus stop shooting that killed 6 people outside Jerusalem earlier that week.
Hamas said its leadership survived the Doha attack, but 6 others were killed, including 5 of its members. The other victim was a Qatari security officer, according to local media.
The US said Israel acted unilaterally, and the attack benefited neither country. According to the Wall Street Journal, US President Donald Trump had a tense phone call with Prime Minister Netanyahu, in which Trump said attacking Hamas leaders in Qatar was not a wise decision.
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Satellite image of damage at the Hamas compound (circled) in Doha, Qatar, after the Israeli attack on 9/9. Photo: Planet Labs |
Satellite image of damage at the Hamas compound (circled) in Doha, Qatar, after the Israeli attack on 9/9. Photo: Planet Labs
President Trump's criticism of the Israeli Prime Minister is rare, as he has almost entirely supported the Israeli leader since returning to the White House in January.
Several countries also condemned the Israeli attack on Qatari territory. The UN Security Council initially planned to meet on 10/9, but postponed it to the next day at Qatar's request so that the country's Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, could attend.
Al-Thani said on 10/9 that Qatar was discussing with regional partners how to respond to the Israeli attack, adding that a leadership meeting would be held in Doha in the near future.
When asked whether Doha would close Hamas' political office, he said the Qatari government was "reviewing everything" to determine its next steps.
Pham Giang (Reuters, AP)
