US EditionIsraeli intelligence agency balked at Netanyahu’s strike in Qatar
The airstrike killed five low-level Hamas members and a Qatari security guard but missed senior leaders, straining diplomatic relations and complicating hostage negotiations, officials said.
- On September 9, 2025, Israel launched an airstrike from 15 fighter jets targeting senior Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, but missed them and killed lower-level associates and a Qatari officer.
- The strike occurred amid ongoing hostage negotiations facilitated by Qatar and the US, with Israel's Mossad opposing the attack due to concerns over timing and diplomatic fallout.
- Despite the failed assassination, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu threatened additional attacks if Qatar continues hosting Hamas leaders, while Qatar condemned the strike as 'state terrorism' and reconsidered its mediation role.
- The airstrike drew widespread condemnation from countries including Britain, France, Germany, and India, while President Trump criticized the unilateral strike and called for peace.
- This failed strike weakened Netanyahu's position, strained relations with Qatar and the US, and cast doubt on the hostage release talks and potential ceasefire negotiations.
53 Articles
53 Articles
Netanyahu Targets Hamas Leaders in Qatar to End Gaza Hostilities
Netanyahu Targets Hamas Leaders in Qatar to End Gaza Hostilities In a bold statement on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the need to dismantle Hamas leadership residing in Qatar, asserting that such action would be pivotal in liberating hostages and halting the ongoing conflict in Gaza.Pushing forward with this strategic approach, Israel directed its military efforts on Tuesday towards Hamas figures positioned in Do…
Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar
Mossad reportedly refused to use its agents on the ground to assassinate Hamas leaders in Qatar. The head of the Israeli external intelligence agency is said to have rejected the plan, leaving PM Benjamin Netanyahu with the alternative option to order an airstrike in Doha. But why was the spy agency not in favour of the attack, which has been widely condemned across the world?
JERUSALEM. The Israeli foreign intelligence agency Mossad refused to carry out the attack on the Hamas leadership in Qatar. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then gave the task to the Air Force. This is what several Israeli sources tell the Washington Post.
Mossad pulls back from planned ground raid on Hamas leaders in Qatar: Report
Israeli spy agency Mossad has reportedly shelved plans for a ground invasion targeting Hamas in Qatar, a plan it had drawn up in recent weeks to use agents on the ground to assassinate the resistance group's leaders.
Israeli Intelligence Agency Balked at Netanyahu’s Strike
“When Israel announced Tuesday that it had launched a strike on senior Hamas leaders in Qatar, one security agency was notably missing from the official statements: the Mossad,” the Washington Post reports. “That’s because Israel’s external intelligence agency had declined to carry out a plan it had drawn up in recent weeks to use agents on the ground to assassinate Hamas leaders.”
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