LIVE: Israel Carries Out Attack Against Hamas Leadership In Qatar, Israeli Source Says | N18G
#Doha #Qatar #Hamas
Massive explosions rocked Doha, Qatar, with reports suggesting an assassination operation targeting senior Hamas officials. The blasts were deliberate. Reuters witnesses confirmed hearing several explosions across the city. Security forces have cordoned off the area as tensions escalate in the Gulf.
#Doha #Qatar #Hamas #BreakingNews #DohaExplosion #MiddleEast #HamasOfficials #QatarNews #IsraelHamas #DohaBlasts
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#Doha #Qatar #Hamas
Massive explosions rocked Doha, Qatar, with reports suggesting an assassination operation targeting senior Hamas officials. The blasts were deliberate. Reuters witnesses confirmed hearing several explosions across the city. Security forces have cordoned off the area as tensions escalate in the Gulf.
#Doha #Qatar #Hamas #BreakingNews #DohaExplosion #MiddleEast #HamasOfficials #QatarNews #IsraelHamas #DohaBlasts
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NewsTranscript
00:00in massive military purchases from the U.S.
00:03So the breach of trust between the United States and Qatar
00:08and the diplomatic fallout from this is bound to be significant.
00:16I think it's also important to mention that countries like Italy, Germany,
00:21everyone else have condemned this Israeli attack,
00:27but in rather tepid terms.
00:30No one has really come out and condemned violation of Qatari sovereignty,
00:36and it's only been they've been dancing around diplomatically
00:40and using diplomatic jargon to get around an actual condemnation.
00:47So I think for Israel's erstwhile allies, the damage is something that is minimal,
00:55but certainly for the countries here in the Persian Gulf, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia,
01:05I'm sure they're feeling deeply betrayed and vulnerable now,
01:10that if this could happen to a country like Qatar, it could happen anywhere.
01:14Well, exactly, because of the U.S. interest there and other countries in the region now
01:20questioning whether or not that relationship with America,
01:23which was all about security guarantees effectively, right, just isn't there anymore.
01:29I mean, what's the point in allying with America away from the economic benefits, I guess?
01:34Yes, that's partly true, but I think the Qataris are smart to realize that once again,
01:44Donald Trump was played by Benjamin Netanyahu,
01:47and that if Trump could have had his way, he would have, given the right timing,
01:54he would have vetoed this attack.
01:57But he was faced with a situation where he didn't have an option.
02:03And so I think once again, what we see is very cleverly Netanyahu forcing Trump's hand
02:10and really in many ways furthering his own agendas, his own political career
02:16at the expense of the interests of the United States.
02:20And back to our big breaking news that we have been following here on CNN for several hours now.
02:28Israel says it initiated, it conducted, and takes full responsibility
02:32for a strike targeting the Hamas leadership in Qatar's capital earlier today.
02:37Hamas says the son of his chief negotiator was among five Hamas members killed.
02:43Qatari officials call it a cowardly assault.
02:46Doha has been a key mediator, as you know, in Gaza's ceasefire talks,
02:49maintaining direct channels with U.S., Israel and Hamas.
02:54Qatar is also one of America's closest allies in the Middle East.
02:58The White House issued a carefully worded statement,
03:01saying it was notified by the U.S. military before the attack.
03:05Our Kevin Liptak joins us now from the White House.
03:08And Kevin, for those of you who are just joining us,
03:10talk us through what we heard from Caroline Levitt,
03:12because she didn't really move from that statement.
03:15And even though journalists were pressing him for clarity, an idea of timeline,
03:20she didn't give us much on that front.
03:23No, and it was a lengthy statement.
03:25And you're right, it was extremely carefully worded.
03:28But I do think it did betray a degree of frustration.
03:31You know, she did ultimately come out and say that the president
03:33thinks that this action that Israel took inside of Qatar
03:37does not advance Israel or America's goals.
03:40And I think any time you hear a White House spokesman putting any kind of daylight
03:43between this building and Israel, it's the time to sort of sit up and take notice.
03:49The other thing that I think she was very careful about was
03:51the degree of advance warning that the U.S. got.
03:55She was explicit that the White House received word from the U.S. military
03:59that this was happening, essentially saying that there was no political channels
04:04communicating this ahead of time.
04:06She was pressed on that repeatedly, repeatedly.
04:09Eventually, she got around to saying that the military learned about this
04:12just before it happened, and that that is when they began to notify Qatar.
04:17She said that Steve Wyckoff, the president's foreign envoy,
04:20got on the phone with the Qataris to tell them that this was happening.
04:24But we actually just heard from a Qatari official
04:26that when they got on the phone with Wyckoff, the bombs were already falling.
04:29They could hear them in the background as that conversation was happening.
04:33And so I think Levitt had a couple of objectives here.
04:36One is to try and not to alienate Israel too much.
04:39That is sort of the objective of every American president dating back several years.
04:44But also to try and reassure the Qataris that this is not something
04:48that the president stands behind.
04:50And she did say that the president had spoken to Netanyahu,
04:52that he had spoken to the Amir and the prime minister of Qatar.
04:57And he told the Qataris that this was something that would not happen again on their soil.
05:03But it's not exactly clear how he can provide that assurances.
05:06And the events of today, I think, just go to show that Israel is going to take these actions,
05:10whether it has buy-in from the United States or not.
05:13Yeah, but look, calling it unfortunate, what else did it say?
05:16Let me just get my notes.
05:17It's unfortunate, it feels very badly about the location of this attack.
05:21This won't be at all very well received, Kevin, from one of your biggest allies in the region, Qatar.
05:28How, what does this do to U.S.-Qatari relations here?
05:32Yeah, I think that's, that is why this statement was so carefully worded.
05:36The White House is very cognizant of the fact that this is a relationship that it cannot afford to lose.
05:42You know, the Qataris have spent the last several months trying to cultivate President Trump.
05:46He was actually the first sitting U.S. president to visit Qatar back in May.
05:51And it hosts, you know, thousands of American troops.
05:53The forward operating headquarters of CENTCOM is at the Yaloudeid Air Base.
05:58This is not something that the president is just going to write off because Netanyahu decided this was a good idea.
06:04I think you're going to see a lot of effort in the coming days and weeks to try and assure the Qataris,
06:09not only the Qataris, but the Emiratis and the Saudis,
06:11that this, these relationships are important to the U.S.
06:15and that the president, President Trump, has some degree of control over what the Israelis are doing.
06:20I'm not sure that that's necessarily going to be received particularly well in these capitals.
06:25You know, I don't know if any of the events today really provide them the assurances that they're looking for,
06:31that the president has sort of a degree of control over what the Israelis are doing in all of this.
06:37Yeah, president saying it serves as an opportunity for peace, of course.
06:41Very, it seems that we're very far away from that.
06:44No peace for the Palestinians, it seems.
06:46And certainly at this point, as we heard from hostage families, none for them either.
06:51We'll stay across this.
06:52Thank you very much, Kevin.
06:54Appreciate it.
06:55The Qatari prime minister addressing that, calling it a moral question,
07:00the way in which Israel attacked Doha just earlier today.
07:07The outrage, as he said, had taken place.
07:10There was some discussion then about the timing of when the United States called Doha after they knew the attack.
07:19But he made clear repeatedly that Doha, the Qatari government, had not been given any warning or early advice that this attack was going to take place.
07:33Paula Hancox is with me.
07:35Paula's in Doha and joins me.
07:39And as I listened to the prime minister, what was interesting is very clear,
07:44this idea that they didn't get any warning, but also this outrage that Israel had attacked the country, in a reality, of the negotiators,
07:59the mediators, which he said raised serious and moral questions about what they'd done, as well as everything else.
08:06Tell me more.
08:07And I think Paula's not hearing me.
08:16Paula, no, Paula's not hearing me.
08:18Do you beg your pardon?
08:19I should have you now, yes.
08:20I can hear you.
08:21So it was an interesting press conference, yes.
08:25I mean, I think you've summed it up very well there, but you can really hear the frustration, the anger at what has happened over recent hours.
08:35It has been a shocking strike, and it just really was encapsulated by the prime minister there.
08:41He said that it was...
09:05The talks, these ceasefire hostage talks, which were ongoing.
09:34We know that just on Monday, the Hamas mediator, the chief negotiator, who was the target, we understand, of these attacks,
09:47or at least one of the targets, he was meeting with the prime minister.
09:50And the prime minister was trying to urge him to accept the deal that was on the table,
09:54accept the U.S. proposal of all of the hostages to be released at the start of the ceasefire,
10:01and then discuss how they were going to turn that temporary ceasefire into a permanent peace.
10:08So the timing is very interesting.
10:10That has been noted from everybody.
10:12And certainly the fact that the target of this strike was just yesterday meeting with the man that we have just heard from there,
10:21the prime minister also, the foreign minister, is very significant.
10:25The fact that they say that they were trying to stop the talks, and as you mentioned there, Richard,
10:32it pains to point out that they didn't have prior warning to this,
10:35that he said they actually heard that this was going to happen 10 minutes after the attack.
10:41That is when they had the heads up.
10:44So what do we know, just before we get more analysis,
10:48give me some facts about what we know about who the target, who was killed,
10:54or anything that you can tell me about the resultant, if you will, of the attack.
11:00So what we heard from the Israeli side is that they were targeting the negotiating team.
11:08Now, we know the main negotiator, Khalil al-Hayat,
11:12he is not on the list of those that were killed in this strike, according to Hamas.
11:17They say there were five people, five members of Hamas, that were killed.
11:22He is not among them.
11:23His son and his bureau director were among those killed.
11:28We don't have the details of who else.
11:31But as far as Hamas is concerned, they say that Israel's intention was not successful
11:40because the negotiating team has survived.
11:43Now, it's worth pointing out it's not the first time that Israel has targeted the negotiating team
11:49when it comes to Hamas, and that, of course, is the main question
11:53that many countries here in this region are asking why target the person
11:58that you have just given a proposal to.
12:01But this is what Israel said that they would do.
12:04The Israeli prime minister said they would target Hamas wherever they were,
12:08that nowhere was safe.
12:10It is just very surprising to many, and most notably,
12:13it's surprising to the officials in Doha that they decided that this could be a target as well,
12:22a key ally of the United States, the key mediator when it comes to this ceasefire hostage talk.
12:29So there's a huge amount of surprise, and as you heard from that press conference,
12:33there is anger and frustration here in Doha.
12:36Richard?
12:37Paula, I'm grateful.
12:39Paula is in Doha.
12:40We'll talk more with her.
12:42The Trump administration says the strikes do not advance Israel or America's goals.
12:48The White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said President Trump views Qatar as an ally
12:52and feels, in her words, very badly about the location of the attack.
12:57The Qatar's foreign ministry has called it a cowardly.
13:01It says it will not tolerate reckless and irresponsible Israeli behavior.
13:05So to Edward Jerovan, previously served as U.S. ambassador to Israel,
13:10and Syria.
13:12Ambassador, you're with me, joining me.
13:14You're the senior fellow at Harvard's Belfast Center.
13:18Ambassador, what do you make of this attack?
13:20It is extraordinary.
13:22Israel says they'll attack Hamas whenever and wherever,
13:26but this seems to be crossing a line, a different league.
13:29I do believe it crosses a line, Richard.
13:35First of all, the attack takes place at a very sensitive moment in the ceasefire negotiations
13:42where the Trump administration, the president, and his envoy, Witkoff,
13:46have made clear that the president is looking for a comprehensive ceasefire,
13:51the release of all the hostages, prisoner exchanges, and moving forward and ending the war in Gaza.
14:00Qatar has played, as your commentators have noted,
14:05a critical role in mediating these negotiations over the last many, many months.
14:12The second point is that Qatar is the home base of our most important military base in the Gulf.
14:22It is the headquarters of CENTCOM,
14:25and obviously the United States' relationship with Qatar is a very important one.
14:30For the Israelis to attack, and given the information we have,
14:36we're not sure if the United States got a heads up,
14:39if the United States was well informed beforehand or not,
14:42but this disrupts the president's own initiative.
14:46So you have to ask the question, you know,
14:50Israel is not obviously paying much attention to U.S. national security interests.
14:57Right. Why do you think they did it?
15:02Yes, we can make a sort of a bold statement like Netanyahu, the prime minister, has done,
15:08which is, you know, there's no immunity anywhere.
15:11Wherever we find Hamas killers, we will kill them.
15:14But that's too simplistic,
15:16bearing in mind the geopolitical ramifications for what they've just done.
15:21So why do you think he did it?
15:23I think Netanyahu is really intent on achieving what he's called from the very beginning
15:31after the horrific events of October 7th
15:34and the incredible devastation that the Israeli military has inflicted upon Gaza ever since.
15:42He is intent on prolonging the war until he achieves what he calls total victory.
15:47That total victory has been very elusive.
15:50And we're now on our 703rd day of the campaign, the Gaza war,
15:57just as far away from a settlement as we were months ago.
16:01The same issues are on the table.
16:03They're being discussed just recently.
16:06And there is no political horizon.
16:08Netanyahu has an interest in prolonging the war.
16:12One, to stay in power, because, as you know,
16:16he has several, three major litigations against him.
16:21Once his government is no longer in power,
16:24he is subject to serious court procedures.
16:28And he's trying to hold together
16:30the most right-wing ethno-nationalist coalition in Israel's history,
16:35who are bent on not achieving a political settlement with the Palestinians.
16:42But annexing Palestinian territory.
16:46But can, I was going to say Netanyahu, but let's put it wider,
16:51can Israel afford to offend the Abraham Accord countries,
16:58even just simply on economic grounds,
17:02which they're running a wartime economy,
17:04when you see the reaction of Jordan,
17:07where there's a peace treaty, obviously,
17:08but you're talking about the UAE,
17:11where there is the Accords,
17:12and you look at the other Accord nations,
17:15who will now be reluctant,
17:18more reluctant, I should say.
17:20So can they afford to do this?
17:24Well, you're absolutely right.
17:26This goes against Israel's own interests
17:28in not only continuing with the Abraham Accords,
17:32but their desire to expand the Abraham Accords
17:36to bring in key countries like Saudi Arabia.
17:39But the point is the UAE,
17:41which has been the major proponent
17:43of the Abraham Accords of the Gulf countries,
17:46just recently, as you know,
17:48came out and said,
17:49if Israel continues annexationist policies
17:52in the West Bank or in Gaza,
17:57that the Abraham Accords will be in absolute jeopardy.
18:00So Israel, what we're witnessing here
18:04is the weaponization of Israeli diplomacy.
18:07It's all about military action and not diplomacy.
18:13We see that in southern Lebanon.
18:15We see that, obviously, in Gaza,
18:17in very tragic forms.
18:19We see it in Iran, bombing Iran,
18:22where, by the way,
18:23when the Trump administration was negotiating
18:26with the Iranians on the nuclear issue,
18:28Israel proceeded to undercut that
18:31by its attacks on Iran
18:34and then bringing America in on that 12-day war.
18:37So this is a pattern.
18:39This is a pattern.
18:40Israel and this government of Netanyahu
18:44has not demonstrated a true political will
18:47to end the war in Gaza
18:49and to stop what it calls
18:52its decapitation policies in the region.
18:56Ambassador, thank you, sir.
18:57You've put it beautifully into context for us
18:59and helped us understand
19:01what's a very difficult situation tonight.
19:03Thank you for joining us.
19:04Now, pouring in from around the world
19:06over Israel's unprecedented strike
19:08on Hamas leadership in Qatar,
19:10one of the key mediators in Gaza's ceasefire talks.
19:16Hamas says its negotiating team
19:18survived that assassination attempt.
19:21But it says the son of its chief negotiator
19:23was amongst five Hamas members killed.
19:25A Qatari security official
19:26was reportedly killed as well.
19:29Two Israeli sources say
19:31this attack was months in the making.
19:33Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says
19:36Israel executed it alone.
19:38We take full responsibility for this action.
19:42And this action can open the door
19:45to an end of the war.
19:49End of the war in Gaza.
19:51Israel has accepted the principles,
19:53the proposal put forward by President Trump
19:55to end the war,
19:56beginning with the immediate release
19:58of all our hostages,
20:00which have been held in the dungeons of Gaza
20:02for 700 days.
20:04A top Qatari diplomat says Israel's attack
20:08was clearly designed to undermine peace efforts.
20:11The White House says President Trump
20:12was given advance notice of the strike,
20:15but says given the location,
20:17the attack does not advance Israeli or U.S. goals.
20:21Israeli hostage families fear their loved ones
20:23held in Gaza could be killed in retribution.
20:26I am trembling with fear.
20:33It could be that at this very moment,
20:35the Prime Minister has essentially executed my matan,
20:39sentenced him to death.
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21:29Those that were killed in this attack,
21:32we understand that his son
21:33and his bureau director
21:35were killed in the attack.
21:37So we're waiting to hear
21:39more confirmation from Israel
21:41as to whether they consider this
21:43to be what they were trying to achieve.
21:47Certainly what they have achieved
21:48is provoking fury around this region.
21:52I mean, there is a very strong statement
21:54from Qatar.
21:56They've called this cowardly.
21:58It's a criminal assault.
22:00And as we've heard from many
22:01in this region
22:02and, of course, across Europe,
22:04they're calling this
22:05a blatant violation
22:06of international laws and norms.
22:09It is a shocking attack,
22:12a shocking strike from Israel.
22:14The fact that they would decide
22:16to target the country
22:19that is one of the key mediators
22:22when it comes to this ceasefire hostage deal
22:24and targeting Hamas in a country as well
22:27that is a key U.S. ally.
22:30So there is a huge amount of surprise
22:32in this region
22:33and it has been condemned
22:35across the board.
22:37Max?
22:38Paula, thank you very much.
22:39We'll let you find out
22:40what you can from the scene there.
22:42Nada's been looking at all the reaction
22:44coming in from across the globe.
22:46I mean, it's fierce, isn't it?
22:47But particularly in the Middle East
22:48because actually a lot of anger
22:50towards America as well
22:52because, you know,
22:53having a relationship with America
22:54was meant to give you security
22:55and a lot of people
22:56in the Middle East
22:58don't feel that right now.
22:59Absolutely.
23:00We've heard that strong reaction
23:01from a lot of regional neighbours,
23:03Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq,
23:04among those condemning this attack
23:07by Israel on Qatari soil.
23:09And of course,
23:09we have to remember
23:10that Qatar is home
23:11to America's largest military base
23:14in the region.
23:15It has a strong and close relationship
23:16with the United States.
23:18Well, exactly.
23:18And there's been many questions
23:19around the sort of communications
23:21that were taking place
23:23around this strike.
23:24We've heard from Qatari officials
23:25denying that there was any
23:26sort of prior warning
23:27from the United States.
23:29We know that there was
23:29later on a call
23:31we heard from the White House
23:32press secretary
23:32saying that Steve Witkoff
23:34was actually the special envoy
23:35for the Middle East
23:36was directed to speak
23:37with Qatari officials.
23:38So the Israeli military
23:39told the American military,
23:40she said,
23:41and the American military
23:41told the White House
23:42who told the Emir.
23:45Is that correct?
23:45That's what we understand
23:46at this stage,
23:47but we have just had that statement
23:49from Qatari officials
23:50saying that any suggestion,
23:51any report
23:52that there was any sort
23:52of prior warning
23:53is, in their words,
23:55basis.
23:55They said specifically
23:56communication was received
23:58from one of the American officials
23:59during the sound
24:01of explosions resulting
24:02from an Israeli attack.
24:03But this is a crucial ally
24:05to the U.S.
24:06Absolutely.
24:07And of course,
24:07important to note
24:08that Qatar is the key
24:10mediator here,
24:11someone that the U.S.
24:12has relied on heavily
24:14to mediate those ceasefire
24:16negotiations
24:16between Israel and Hamas.
24:18And, you know,
24:19we've been hearing
24:19from President Trump
24:20over the last few days
24:21really ramping up
24:23those warnings
24:23against Hamas,
24:25also striking a tone
24:26of optimism
24:27around the possibility
24:28of actually being able
24:29to secure a ceasefire deal
24:31on his watch.
24:32But if anything,
24:33this has really raised
24:34concerns about any hopes
24:35for negotiations
24:36going forward.
24:37We heard from one
24:38of those relatives
24:38of the hostages.
24:39I mean, you can only imagine
24:40what's going through
24:41their minds.
24:42Huge amount of concern
24:43from family members,
24:44relatives of those hostages
24:45with regards to
24:46what this could mean
24:47for their loved ones
24:48still held captive
24:49in Gaza.
24:50Of course,
24:51whether or not
24:51there are any sort
24:52of repercussions,
24:53perhaps revenge attacks
24:54carried out by Hamas.
24:56And, of course,
24:56there's also concern
24:57around what this means
24:58for Gaza as well,
24:59potentially opening
25:01the floodgates
25:01for an even more
25:02intensified attack
25:03on Gaza City
25:04by the Israeli military,
25:06given that that was
25:07one of the key tenets
25:08of that ceasefire proposal
25:09on the table.
25:10Nader, thank you.
25:11Nader, talking about
25:12how the White House
25:12was speaking about
25:13this advance notice
25:15that the U.S. got
25:16about the strike
25:17in Qatar.
25:18Let's hear the press
25:19Secretary, Caroline Levitt.
25:23Unilaterally bombing
25:23inside Qatar,
25:24a sovereign nation
25:26and close ally
25:27of the United States
25:28that is working
25:29very hard
25:29in bravely taking
25:31risks with us
25:31to broker peace
25:32does not advance
25:33Israel or America's goals.
25:36However,
25:36eliminating Hamas
25:37who have profited
25:38off the misery
25:39of those living in Gaza
25:40is a worthy goal.
25:43Kristen Holmes
25:44is at the White House.
25:45You're used to hearing
25:46these briefings.
25:46I mean, interpret that.
25:48Is Donald Trump
25:49really furious
25:49with Israel here?
25:51Just explain
25:52what the vibe is.
25:53Well, it certainly
25:55doesn't seem as though
25:56he's happy
25:56with what happened.
25:57I mean, this was
25:58an incredibly carefully
25:59worded statement.
26:00You can tell
26:00that they parsed
26:01through every single
26:02one of these words.
26:04Just to give
26:04some context here,
26:06at one point,
26:06you heard her talk
26:08about this.
26:08She's
26:08one of these words.
26:09She's
26:09trying to figure out
26:10the mission
26:10to answers
26:10and
26:11try to figure out
26:11the way
26:12of the water.
26:12It also
26:13that the way
26:13can only prove to us
26:14that the way
26:14God
26:15can only prove to us
26:15because the love
26:16the way
26:16of the way
26:17of the country
26:18is raising
26:18and we're
26:19as though
26:20the beginning of this
26:21was mentioned.
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