Israel has promised Qatar that it will not try to assassinate Hamas leaders living in the Gulf state — but only for now.
After the October 7 attacks, Israeli leaders promised vengeance against the whole leadership of Hamas, which is split between Gaza and overseas capitals, including Istanbul and Beirut. The group’s top political leaders are based in Doha, the capital of Qatar, by historic agreement with the country’s western allies which favour it as a venue for negotiations when necessary.
Qatar has said it fears that this threat of retaliation means Israel might target figures like Ismail Haniyeh, the overall top leader of the militant group, and Khaled Meshaal, his predecessor and still a senior figure.
