Netanyahu gambled by targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar. It appears to have backfired

[ad_1] JERUSALEM (AP) — When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered this week’s tried assassination of Hamas leaders in Qatar, he took a significant gamble in his marketing campaign to pound the group into submission.

With indicators rising that the mission failed, that gamble seems to have backfired.

Netanyahu had hoped to kill Hamas' senior exiled leaders to get nearer towards his imaginative and prescient of “complete victory” towards the militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and stress it into surrendering after practically two years of warfare within the Gaza Strip.

As a substitute, Hamas claims its leaders survived, and Netanyahu's world standing, already badly broken by the scenes of destruction and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, took one other hit.

The airstrike Tuesday has enraged Qatar, an influential U.S. ally that has been a key mediator all through the warfare, and drawn heavy criticism throughout the Arab world. It additionally has strained relations with the White Home and thrown hopes of reaching a ceasefire into disarray, probably endangering the 20 hostages nonetheless believed to be alive in Gaza.

However whereas the strike marks a setback for Netanyahu, the Israeli chief exhibits no signal of backing down or halting the warfare. And along with his hard-line coalition nonetheless firmly behind him, Netanyahu faces no speedy risk to his rule.

Netanyahu’s hope for an ‘picture of victory’ for his authorities

5 low-level Hamas members and a Qatari safety guard had been killed within the strike. However Hamas has stated the meant goal, senior exiled leaders assembly to debate a brand new U.S. ceasefire proposal, all survived. The group, nevertheless, has not launched any pictures of the leaders, and Qatar has not commented on their circumstances.

If the airstrike had killed the highest management, the assault might have offered Netanyahu a chance declare Hamas’ destruction, stated Harel Chorev, an professional on Arab affairs at Tel Aviv College.

“It’s all very symbolic and it’s positively a part of the factor which permits Netanyahu at a sure level to say ‘We gained, we killed all of them,’” he stated.

Israel’s fierce 23-month offensive in Gaza has worn out all of Hamas’ high management contained in the territory. However Netanyahu has got down to eradicate the group as a part of his purpose of “complete victory.”

That's now wanting more and more unlikely, making it even more durable for Netanyahu to push a ceasefire by way of his hard-line coalition.

Far-right members of Israel’s governing coalition have cornered Netanyahu, threatening to topple his authorities until Israel pushes forward with an expanded operation in Gaza Metropolis, regardless of severe misgivings by many within the navy management and widespread opposition amongst Israel’s public.

A profitable operation in Qatar might have allowed Netanyahu to placate the hard-liners, regardless that it could have eradicated the very officers accountable for negotiating a doable ceasefire.

Burning the channel with Qatar

Israel has had the flexibility to focus on Hamas leaders in Doha from the beginning of the warfare however didn't need to antagonize the Qataris whereas negotiations happened, Chorev stated.

Qatar has helped negotiate two earlier ceasefires which have launched 148 hostages, together with eight our bodies, in change for 1000's of Palestinian prisoners. Israel’s navy has rescued simply eight hostages alive, and retrieved the our bodies of 51 hostages.

Whereas Israel has complained that Qatar was not placing stress on Hamas, it had continued to go away that channel open — till Tuesday.

“Israel, by the assault, notified the entire world that it gave up on the negotiations,” Chorev stated. “They’ve determined to burn the channel with Qatar."

Requested if ceasefire talks would proceed, Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated that after the strike, “I don’t assume there’s something legitimate” within the present talks. However he didn't elaborate and stopped in need of saying Qatar would finish its mediation efforts.

How Netanyahu hopes to win the discharge of the remaining hostages stays unclear.

On Thursday, Sheikh Mohammed accused Israel of abandoning the hostages.

“Extremists that rule Israel at this time don't care concerning the hostages — in any other case, how will we justify the timing of this assault?” Sheikh Mohammed informed the U.N. Safety Council.

Nonetheless, he stated his nation was able to resume its mediation with out giving any indication of subsequent steps. On Friday, Sheikh Mohammed met in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was scheduled to go to Israel this weekend in an indication of how the Trump administration is attempting to stability relations between key Center East allies.

Straining ties with the US

Netanyahu, who has acquired ironclad assist from the U.S. since President Donald Trump returned to workplace, seems to have strained ties along with his most vital ally.

Trump stated he was “very sad” concerning the airstrike and warranted the Qataris such an assault wouldn't occur once more.

Trump, nevertheless, has not stated whether or not he would take any punitive motion towards Israel or indicated that he'll stress Netanyahu to halt the warfare.

Netanyahu, within the meantime, stays undeterred and threatened further motion if Qatar continues to host the Hamas management.

The message to Hamas is evident, he stated Thursday: “There isn't any place the place we can't attain you.”

Little influence on the warfare in Gaza

Israel is urgent forward with its expanded offensive aimed toward conquering Gaza Metropolis. The navy has urged a full evacuation of the world holding round 1 million individuals forward of an anticipated invasion.

“Netanyahu’s authorities is adamant to go on with the navy operation in Gaza,” stated Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at Hebrew College in Jerusalem.

Israel has disregarded calls to halt the warfare from the United Nations, the European Union and a rising variety of main Western nations who plan to acknowledge a Palestinian state on the U.N. Safety Council later this month, she stated.

The one one who may be capable of change this trajectory is Trump, she added, by telling Israel “sufficient is sufficient.”

Netanyahu’s political future unthreatened

If Hamas' leaders survived, and the negotiations collapse, Netanyahu will additional alienate the roughly two-thirds of the Israeli public who need an finish to the warfare and a deal to carry residence the hostages.

However that opposition has been in place for months, with little affect on Netanyahu.

“Netanyahu’s future within the close to time period doesn’t rely on the Israeli public,” stated Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem assume tank.

As a substitute, his political survival is determined by his governing coalition, a lot of whom have expressed wholehearted assist for the assassination try.

This has sparked panic and extra struggling for the households of the hostages nonetheless held in Gaza.

Einav Zangauker, whose son, Matan, is among the many captives, stated this week she was “shaking with worry” after listening to about Israel’s assault in Doha.