AhlulBayt News Agency:
Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad has reportedly abandoned a plan for a ground operation in Qatar aimed at assassinating Hamas leaders, according to recent reports.
On Tuesday, the Israeli regime launched an airstrike on a residential area in Doha, Qatar, targeting senior Hamas officials.
The attack failed to eliminate the top leadership. While key Hamas figures survived, five members of the group and one Qatari security officer were killed.
According to The Washington Post, Mossad chief David Barnea opposed the assassination plan, fearing it would damage the agency’s relationship with Qatari officials.
Qatar has been hosting Hamas and playing a central role in mediating ceasefire negotiations between the group and Israel.
In January, Barnea reiterated Mossad’s intent to pursue those responsible for Hamas’s October 2023 operation, but expressed concern about the timing of such actions.
Although many Israeli officials agree that Hamas leaders abroad should eventually be targeted, Barnea and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir questioned whether this was the appropriate moment.
At the time of the attack, Hamas leaders were in Qatar discussing a ceasefire proposal initiated by Israel and the US, which aimed to secure the release of 48 Israeli captives.
Nitzan Alon, the Israeli officer overseeing captive negotiations, was excluded from a key meeting about the Doha strike, as leaders feared he would oppose any action that might jeopardize the captives.
An Israeli official critical of the decision questioned Prime Minister Netanyahu’s timing, suggesting Mossad could act later with greater precision.
David Makovsky of the Washington Institute noted that Barnea valued Qatari mediation and believed it should not be compromised.
However, Netanyahu may have concluded that negotiations were failing and viewed military action as the only viable path forward.
Makovsky added that Netanyahu likely saw diplomatic efforts as a constraint, prompting him to pursue direct military action.
This internal disagreement shaped the execution and outcome of the airstrike, revealing deeper divisions within Israel’s security leadership.
Despite the operation, Israel did not achieve its primary objective. Hamas confirmed the deaths of five members and a Qatari officer, but none of its top leaders.
Analysts say Netanyahu’s allies, including Ron Dermer and Israel Katz, had grown frustrated with stalled negotiations.
They argue the strike was justified by a rare chance to target Hamas leaders gathered in one location, and in retaliation for recent Hamas attacks in al-Quds and Gaza that killed ten Israelis.
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