The failed Israeli attack on Hamas pushed Qatar into the hands of Trump, whose price for protection was a demand to help force the terrorists to the table
October 9, 2025 15:16
Better late than never. That was the feeling of many in Israel surrounding the dramatic announcement early Thursday morning that an agreement had been reached on the release of the hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza – one which could also pave the way for a wider peace settlement in the Middle East.
But the story of how Israel, Hamas and the US arrived at this point is chaotic and remarkable in equal measures.
One key ingredient in that story was the controversial Israeli air strike against Hamas leaders in Doha, the Qatari capital.
There is no dispute that the September 9 attack failed and was operationally unnecessary. Three heads of Israel’s security establishment opposed it – including Mossad chief Dedi Barnea, IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, and Military Intelligence Director Shlomi Binder. The only agency that supported it was the Shin Bet, then headed by an acting director (last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed General David Zini to head the organisation).
But as if by divine irony, the event turned out like the biblical story of Balaam, who came to curse but ended up blessing.
Trump was initially furious. The Trump family members and Witkoff have been involved in business deals with Qatar worth of billions of US dollars. Qatar has invested hundreds of billions in the US economy and is supplying the US president with a state-of-the-art presidential plane, as a gift, to replace the old Air Force One. Qatar is also a major US ally, housing the largest US base in the Middle East.
Senior officials in the US administration told The Wall Street Journal at the time that Trump was angry with Netanyahu during a phone call following the Israeli strike in Qatar, telling him it was a “not smart” move.
Furthermore, in a meeting in the White House, Trump forced Netanyahu to call the Qatari prime minister and apologise. Politico reported that Trump also dictated to Netanyahu the exact wording of the apology and a senior Qatari official was present to make sure that Netanyahu would not step out the direct text. Netanyahu's office denied the report.
The Qataris were appeased and, Trump’s pressure on Netanyahu to apologise – combined with Doha’s realisation that the war had turned up at their doorstep – convinced them that they could no longer continue to provide diplomatic support Hamas in its war against Israel. Qatar then pivoted to put pressure on Hamas to stop fighting and give up the hostages.
Netanyahu on his part can argue that he also benefited from the phone call with the Qatari prime minister. Netanyahu demanded that Qatar tone down Al Jazeera’s anti-Israel incitement and reduce its pro-Hamas propaganda.
Israeli journalist Amit Segal recently reported on X that his Channel 12 colleague, Ehud Yaari, revealed that Qatar was conducting a purge at Al Jazeera. According to Yaari, the network's director and deputy director have been removed, and the outlet’s editorial line is shifting to focus more on Gaza's humanitarian situation rather than praising Hamas's military actions. Yaari suggests that this change is part of an understanding between Qatar and the United States to reduce incitement across the Middle East.
This development follows also pressure from President Donald Trump on Qatar to curb Al Jazeera's pro-Hamas rhetoric. The White House's demands appear to be influencing Qatar's media policies, leading to significant changes at Al Jazeera.
On the other hand, as a result of the air strike, Trump hurried to sign a defence pact with Qatar. As if to add salt to Netanyahu's wounds, the Israeli prime minister pledged that Israel would never again violate Qatari sovereignty and refrain of attacks on its soil. In other words, If Hamas leaders and operatives were to be evacuated from Gaza as part of the deal, they would enjoy immunity while staying on Qatari soil.
On this, one could also quote the biblical saying: “Out of the strong came something sweet.”
The strong American commitment is joined by heavy pressure from Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt on Hamas. Turkish involvement is also important due to the close relationship between Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who will not want to appear as if he failed to deliver for his American ally. The main outstanding issue now appears to be the withdrawal map. Hamas has expressed reservations about the withdrawal lines drawn up by the US administration and is demanding a full Israeli withdrawal. Additional talks between the US and Israel are expected on this issue.
Another obstacle which may arise is the identity of the 1,700 Palestinian terrorists that are due to be released from Israel jails. Among them are 250 murderers who serve life sentences.
Probably the toughest hurdle will be Hamas' demand for the release of Marwan Barghouti, a popular, charismatic PLO leader who has already spent 25 years in an Israeli jail for the orders he gave to kill Israeli citizens during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s. For the Palestinians he is a symbol of their aspiration for liberation, and was compared to Nelson Mandela. For these reasons, so far, Israel has opposed his release.
Once the first stage of the deal is implemented, it will be even harder to advance to the next ones. Those require Israeli withdrawal from Gaza to a narrow security belt, the full disarming of Hamas, the installation of a new non-Hamas administration and the reconstruction Gaza.
But the immediate question is: will Norway announce that the Nobel prize for peace should go to Trump? He deserves it.
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