On September 15, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not rule out the possibility of attacking more Hamas leaders no matter where they are, in the context of Qatar hosting a summit that gathered Arab and Islamic leaders to show support after Israels airstrike.
The attack on the Hamas leadership in the Qatari capital Doha is seen as a major escalation in the conflict that originated from Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Hamas said the airstrike killed five members, including the son of a former leader, but the leadership survived. Qatar confirmed that a security guard of the country had also died. King Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani condemned the action and called on the conference to take "practical and drastic" measures.
A joint statement from the summit, with the participation of Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, called on countries to reconsider diplomatic and economic relations with Israel.
Mr. Hossam Zaki, Deputy Secretary General of the Arab League, emphasized that this is an invitation for countries with relations with Israel to re-evaluate their policies.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that Israel's actions are ruining opportunities for new peace agreements as well as current treaties.
Meanwhile, Washington expressed concern at not being informed in advance about the attack on Qatar, which houses the largest US military base in the Middle East.
President Donald Trump warned Israel to be very cautious, stressing Qatar as an important ally. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a meeting with Netanyahu, said Hamas must release hostages and giaite armaments, but also acknowledged that a diplomatic solution would be difficult to achieve. He will travel to Qatar after a visit to Israel to promote Doha's mediation role.
While diplomatic activities were taking place, Israeli forces continued to attack Gaza city on September 15, killing at least 16 people and destroying the 16-storey building believed to be the tallest in the area. The Israeli military said the site contained Hamas infrastructure.
