Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Hamas leaders in Qatar of blocking cease‑fire negotiations, saying that removing them would pave the way for an end to the Gaza conflict and the return of Israeli hostages. He claims the Qatar‑based Hamas officials have “blocked all cease‑fire attempts in order to endlessly drag out the war,” and that eliminating them would remove the main obstacle to releasing the hostages and ending the fighting.
The accusation follows an Israeli strike that targeted Hamas’s top members in Doha. Hamas described the attack as an attempt to assassinate negotiators working on a potential settlement, while the militant group maintains that its leadership was not killed. Qatar, which has hosted several rounds of Israel‑Hamas talks and mediated two temporary cease‑fires, condemned the strike as “state terrorism” and accused Israel of violating international law.
The United States and Russia also voiced strong criticism. U.S. President Donald Trump denounced the strike as a decision made solely by Netanyahu, deepening the Trump administration’s frustration with the Israeli prime minister. Russia’s foreign ministry called the attack an attempt to derail the settlement process and warned that targeting Qatar, a key mediator in indirect talks, undermines peace efforts.
The attack has significant implications for the ongoing Gaza conflict. With mounting international condemnation, the next steps in the negotiations remain uncertain, underscoring the complexities of the war and the challenges of achieving a lasting cease‑fire. As the international community continues to call for a peaceful resolution, the actions of all parties will be closely watched.
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