Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
4-minute read
11 September 2025 | 15:30 CAT

📸 Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha has rattled regional diplomacy, leaving at least five dead and casting doubt on Qatar’s mediating role in Gaza ceasefire talks. The attack has sparked outrage, with questions now raised over U.S. complicity and Israel’s growing image as a “rogue state.”

Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha has thrown regional diplomacy into turmoil, hitting at the heart of ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks. The attack, which killed at least five people, has provoked anger in Qatar, raised questions about U.S. involvement, and reinforced doubts about Israel’s willingness to respect mediation efforts.

Speaking to Radio Islam International from Turkey, political analyst Dr. Azam Tamimi described the strike as a continuation of Israel’s pattern of disregarding peace agreements. Drawing a historical comparison, Tamimi recalled the 1997 Mossad operation in Amman targeting Hamas political chief Khaled Meshaal, despite Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel. “It was a humiliating situation for the Israelis,” he said, noting that the Amman incident undermined Israel’s credibility, just as the Doha strike has today.

Qatar, which has played a central role in facilitating ceasefire negotiations by hosting both Israeli and Hamas delegations, has condemned the attack as a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty. According to Tamimi, “Qataris are very angry, and they are threatening diplomatic and political action. They are victims here,  they tried to play their mediating role honestly.”

The role of the United States has come under sharp scrutiny. Washington maintains that it warned Qatar of the strike, but Doha insists the call came only after the missiles landed. “The United States is just like a parent of a spoiled child. And Israel is the spoiled child,” Tamimi explained. He argued that the late warning proves U.S. complicity in covering Israeli actions rather than restraining them.

The fallout extends beyond Qatar. Tamimi warned that Israel’s global image as a “rogue state” has only deepened. “Since October 7th, people are more daring today to criticize Israel and even equate Zionism with racism and Nazism,” he noted. For Tamimi, Zionism represents a supremacist and colonial ideology, one that regards others as “subhuman” and dismisses international norms.

The strike also has grave implications for Gaza. Already enduring bombardment, famine, and displacement, Palestinians now see the negotiating process itself under threat. “This confirms what everybody in Gaza has been saying, you cannot trust the Zionists. You cannot make peace with them,” Tamimi said.

As the region reels from the Doha strike, Qatar’s next steps remain uncertain. What is clear, however, is that the attack has undermined trust in mediation, raised diplomatic stakes, and reaffirmed perceptions of Israel’s unchecked impunity.

Listen to the full interview on Sabahul Muslim with Moulana Habib Bobat and Dr Azam Tamimi.