Gaza - Washington: Europe and the Arabs
Following the Israeli attack on Doha, the American newspaper "The Wall Street Journal" revealed that Egypt and Turkey warned Hamas of possible Israeli strikes and called on it to tighten security measures in Qatar, where the negotiating delegation was discussing the American proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The report explained that Israel, which aimed to assassinate senior Hamas leaders in an operation with low expectations of success, used 10 fighter jets equipped with long-range munitions and launched their missiles from outside Qatari airspace.
However, there were conflicting reports about the air route through which these aircraft crossed, as both Saudi Arabia and the UAE rushed to confirm that the fighters did not cross their territory. According to what was published today by the European News Network in Brussels, "Euronews," it added, "However, questions abounded about the repercussions of the attack, most notably: Who knew about it?
The report quoted US officials as saying that Israel informed the White House of the attack minutes before it was carried out, but did not reveal the identity of the target.
In a related context, reports circulated that Qatar, which plays a mediating role in negotiations between Hamas and Israel and hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East, had prior knowledge of the attack.
However, the spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed Al-Ansari, denied this in a post on the X platform, saying: "The circulating information about Qatar being informed of the attack in advance is incorrect. The call we received from an American official came as explosions were being heard as a result of the Israeli attack in Doha.
Warnings before the attack
The same American newspaper published a report a few days ago, quoting an unidentified Egyptian source as saying that Cairo had warned against targeting Ziad al-Nakhala, the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, who currently resides in the Egyptian capital almost permanently due to escalating Israeli threats.
According to reports, Egypt granted al-Nakhala permanent residency in the country as part of its role in mediating ceasefire negotiations in Gaza.
Meanwhile, a Hamas source told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that officials had received instructions to strengthen security protocols, saying, "Several countries hosting members of the movement's political bureau have issued warnings to implement strict security measures."
The source explained that Turkey, in particular, has tightened security measures, fearing potential attacks on senior members of the movement, including prisoners recently released as part of the exchange deal.
The scene is becoming more complicated
Meanwhile, tensions have escalated between the Israeli military establishment and the political echelon, especially as hopes for the success of the operation have diminished. The assassination, which Hebrew media reported was opposed by the Mossad chief, unlike the Shin Bet chief and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Despite Tel Aviv's attempts to ease Washington's embarrassment, including President Donald Trump's assertion that the operation was Netanyahu's sole decision, and Israel's ambassador to the United Nations indicating that the Jewish state alone bears responsibility for what happened, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz showed no sign of backing down. He even announced an expansion of the scope of operations to include all countries hosting Hamas, saying, "We will attack our enemies everywhere, and harm will befall anyone who practices terrorism against Israel. If Hamas does not accept our conditions, we will destroy it and destroy Gaza."
On the ground, on the 705th day of the war, several areas in the Gaza Strip are witnessing continuous Israeli bombardment, in an unprecedented air escalation that comes a day after the evacuation orders issued yesterday to all residents of Gaza City.
The Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported that the bombing targeted tents housing displaced persons on Al-Nasr Street, northwest of Gaza City, and areas surrounding the Baptist Hospital, as well as the Al-Bureij refugee camp and the city of Deir al-Zor. Dates were harvested in the central Gaza Strip, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.
In Israel, disagreements between the political and military leadership are escalating following the attack carried out in Doha, which targeted senior Hamas leaders from the negotiating delegation while they were discussing the US ceasefire proposal.
Hamas declared the operation a "failure," amid leaks in the Hebrew media about intense tensions prior to its implementation and a difference in viewpoints between the head of the Mossad, who opposed the operation, and the head of the Shin Bet and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who supported it.
The operation is receiving considerable attention, as it raises numerous questions about its repercussions on the hostage exchange deal that was supposed to be imminent, the future of relations between Doha and Washington, and perhaps between the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as its impact on Israeli public opinion, especially if it fails.