Washington Post: Mossad rejected plan for ground raid on Hamas in Doha; Israel carried out an airstrike
Al-Khamisa News Network - Gaza
The Washington Post reported that the Israeli Mossad drew up a plan for a ground operation in Qatar targeting Hamas leaders, but declined to proceed with it, prompting Israel to carry out an airstrike described as “failed,” according to informed Israeli sources.
According to the report, Mossad chief David Barnea objected to carrying out the ground operation for fear it would damage relations with Doha, which is considered a key mediator in negotiations with Hamas. Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir also objected to the timing of the strike, while Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon was not invited to discussions on approving the plan because officials believed he would reject it.
The paper said official statements issued after the attack in Qatar attributed the operation to the Israeli military and the Shin Bet, without mentioning Mossad, which refused to use field operatives to carry out the assassination. The paper quoted an Israeli source as saying: “We can reach them in a year or two or four, and Mossad knows how to do it, so why now?”
The report also recalled the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran about a year ago by detonating an explosive device inside his bedroom, noting that Mossad was not prepared this time to repeat a field operation in Doha.
David Makovsky, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, said Barnea is known for his belief in the value of Qatari mediation, and that “burning that channel” would weaken the prospects for future settlements.
According to the Washington Post, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Defense Minister Israel Katz supported the option of the strike, while Zamir called for accepting a ceasefire agreement, warning that the move could put the hostages’ lives at risk.
The paper quoted Israeli sources as saying the prevailing assessment in Tel Aviv is that relations with Qatar can be repaired over time, similar to what happened after a series of assassinations Israel carried out in Europe and the Middle East following the Munich operation in 1972.
