Israel Chases Hamas To Qatar

Israel has escalated its war on the Hamas Movement to an unprecedented level, going as far as targeting the group’s leadership in Qatar, which has been leading efforts to end the war on the Gaza Strip.

The escalation was not surprising, however. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has been openly preparing for a large-scale offensive in Gaza City for weeks, with the declared aim of dealing a final blow to Hamas.

The IDF began to step up its operations in the Palestinian enclave on September 5, when it struck the Al-Mushtaha Tower, a high-rise building in Gaza City. The military justified the attack by claiming that Hamas’s fighters were using the building. Since then, the rate of Israeli strikes has gone up, with many targeting high-rise buildings.

On September 7, Trump issued a “last warning” to Hamas, calling on the group to accept his suggestion for ending the war.

Hamas has since shown openness to the suggestion, which reportedly includes the release of all remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a permanent end to the war.

At the same time, the group began to respond to the Israeli escalation in Gaza and beyond in an attempt to improve its negotiation position.

Six people were killed and more than 20 others were wounded on September 8 when two Palestinian gunmen opened fire on vehicles and pedestrians in Jerusalem’s Ramot Junction. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.

September 9 would witness an unprecedented escalation by Israel, with the IDF targeting the leadership of Hamas in the Qatari capital, Doha. The attack was reportedly greenlighted by Trump.

Multiple strikes targeted a building in the Leqtaifiya district of Doha, where Hamas top leaders were present, including the head of the group in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya.

Also believed to have been present at the building during the attack were senior Hamas figures: Zaher Jabarin, who leads Hamas in the West Bank, Muhammad Darwish, head of Hamas’s Shura Council, and Khaled Mashaal, head of Hamas abroad.

The attack killed six, including a Qatari security officer. However, many Hamas leaders, including al-Hayya, were said to have survived.

The Israeli attack on Hamas leadership was a clear attempt to kill the talks on a new ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza, where over 64,500 Palestinians have been killed so far. It is unclear if the talk, largely managed by Qatar, would proceed after the attack. The upcoming offensive in Gaza City will likely complicate the situation even further, especially that Hamas does not appear to be willing to surrender. All in all, the war may be about to enter its deadliest phase.

https://southfront.press/israel-chases-hamas-to-qatar/