Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled that Hamas leaders remain targets “wherever they are,” following Israel’s unprecedented strike in Qatar last week that killed six people but left top Hamas officials unharmed. Speaking alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem, Netanyahu asserted that Israel holds the right “to defend itself beyond its borders,” even as the attack strained ties with Washington.
The strike, condemned globally and criticized by US President Donald Trump, has raised questions over Israel’s willingness to extend its campaign into allied territories. Qatar, which hosts a major US airbase and has mediated Israel-Hamas negotiations for over a decade, has warned of “double standards” in the international response and urged accountability. Trump publicly assured Doha the strike would not be repeated, though Netanyahu refused to offer such guarantees.
Despite tensions, Netanyahu and Rubio projected unity, with the US official insisting Washington’s ties with Gulf partners remain “strong.” Their visit included symbolic stops at Jerusalem’s Western Wall, while avoiding questions about Israel’s deepening offensive in Gaza. Meanwhile, the Israeli military has demanded mass evacuations from Gaza City, pressing forward with demolitions and signaling a possible ground assault. The UN has warned this escalation risks pushing famine-stricken civilians into “an even deeper catastrophe.”
As Arab leaders rally in support of Qatar and key Western allies prepare to recognize Palestine at the UN, Netanyahu has doubled down on settlement expansion and opposition to a Palestinian state. With new annexation plans moving forward, Israel’s defiance of international law appears set to define both its battlefield strategy and its political posture in the weeks ahead.
