Exposed: The Rare Promise Israel Gave Qatar a Month Ago

According to a report by The Washington Post, just one month before yesterday's attack on senior Hamas officials in Qatar, Israel’s Mossad and the White House made a rare pledge to Qatari officials: Hamas leaders would not be targeted on their soil. This follows their assassinating Ismail Haniyeh specifically in a different country (Tehran), as opposed to in Qatar. It could explain the Mossad's reticence in carrying out the strike in Doha. Some claim the Mossad was so opposed to the strike that it actually refused to carry it out, and that the Shin Bet (which deals with internal security matters) took over.

This revelation follows the dramatic strike, the results of which are still unconfirmed. It also sheds light on the conflicting statements that followed. Just hours after the attack, the White House stated that President Donald Trump had spoken with both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Emir of Qatar, promising the Emir that "such attacks will not happen again."

A White House spokesperson, Caroline Leavitt, confirmed that the U.S. was updated on the expected attack on the morning it occurred. She described it as a "unilateral attack" on a close U.S. ally and said the operation did not advance the goals of either nation. However, she added that the elimination of Hamas officials who "benefited from the suffering of all those who live in the Gaza Strip" was a "welcome step."