Yechiel Leiter says attacks targeting Hamas leaders will succeed ‘next time’, while new blasts rock Yemen
“Right now, we may be subject to a little bit of criticism. They’ll get over it. And Israel is being changed for the better,” Yechiel Leiter told Fox News’ Special Report programme late on Tuesday.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with the attack in the Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday, escalating its military action in the Middle East, in what the US described as a unilateral attack that does not advance American and Israeli interests.
The airstrike took place shortly after Hamas claimed responsibility for a shooting on Monday that killed six people at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
The widely condemned Doha operation was especially sensitive because Qatar has been hosting and mediating in negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in the Gaza war.
“If we didn’t get them this time, we’ll get them the next time,” Mr Leiter said.
The UN Security Council postponed a meeting planned for yesterday meeting until today at the request of Qatar so the country’s prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani could attend.
Benjamin Netanyahu has defied global condemnation of attacks such as the one that struck Doha
Mr Al Thani said in an interview with CNN on yesterday that a response to Israel’s attacks is being discussed with regional partners and leaders would meet in Doha in the near future.
When asked whether Doha would shut down Hamas’s political office, he said his government was “reassessing everything” regarding what next steps it would take.
Flames and smoke rise following Israeli airstrikes on the Houthi defence ministry in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Military camps were also targeted. Photo: AP
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“We are in a very detailed conversation with the United States government and we need to understand what will be the way forward,” he said.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defied global condemnation of attacks such as the one that struck Doha, extending military operations across the Middle East and severely weakening Israel’s Iran-backed enemies since Hamas attacked Israel in 2023.
Yesterday, Israel struck the Yemeni capital Sanaa, after killing Houthi prime minister Ahmad Ghaleb al-Rahwi and other senior figures in an attack in late August.
Witnesses said yesterday’s attack targeted the Houthi defence ministry, while Israeli Army Radio reported that Houthi headquarters and military camps were among the targets. The Israeli military confirmed it had attacked Yemen.
The Houthis have attacked vessels in the Red Sea in what they describe as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians since the beginning of the war in Gaza.
Flames and smoke rise following Israeli airstrikes on the Houthi defence ministry in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Military camps were also targeted. Photo: AP
Hamas said five of its members were killed in the Doha attack, including the son of its exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya. It said its top leaders survived.
The attack generated a flurry of diplomacy between Arab states.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Qatar yesterday, UAE state news agency WAM reported.
Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein was also expected to visit Qatar yesterday, while Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is due to arrive in Doha today, an official with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The visits were a show of regional solidarity with Qatar following the Israeli strikes, the official said.
The European Commission will propose sanctioning extremist Israeli ministers and the suspension of trade-related measures in an EU agreement with Israel, commission president Ursula von der Leyen said.
The proposals reflect growing EU criticism of Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza and increased pressure on the bloc’s executive body to take action. Germany, one of Israel’s staunchest supporters, has taken note of those proposals targeting Israel and will participate in a dialogue about future measures, foreign minister Johann Wadephul said yesterday.
Displaced Palestinians flee northern Gaza carry their belongings along the coastal road toward southern Gaza. Photo: AP
The Doha airstrike followed an Israeli warning to Palestinians to leave Gaza City, an area once home to about a million people, as it tries to destroy what is left of Hamas.
Residents there expressed alarm the Doha strike might end chances for a ceasefire.
Families, some carrying their belongings on vehicles, donkey carts and rickshaws, continued to stream out of Gaza City along the coastal road in anticipation of a major Israeli offensive.
“Does this mean there is no hope a ceasefire can be reached? I am afraid that now Israel would speed up its occupation of Gaza City,” Um Tamer (65), a mother of five, said.
At least 30 people were killed across the enclave yesterday, according to medics.
Asked how the strike would affect ceasefire negotiations, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Reuters: “The honest answer is, we simply don’t know. Hamas has rejected everything so far. They continually reject every offer that’s put on the table.”