Source: Global Times New Media

The US "Wall Street Journal" published an exclusive news on the 13th that in order to combat the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (HamasSenior members, the Israeli military deployed 12 fighter jets to the Red Sea, launched several air-launched ballistic missiles, which flew from space to Qatar, circumvented the airspace of Saudi Arabia, and eventually completed the strike operation.

Qatar's capital Doha hit by Israeli airstrikes (Photos)

According to the U.S. media, eight F-15s and four F-35s were deployed in the operation. Several U.S. officials said some fighters fired airborne ballistic missiles to Doha after flying over the Red Sea. U.S. officials said that until minutes before the attack, Israel had informed the U.S. military that it was launching an attack on Hamas targets. They added that Israel did not initially provide accurate information about the attack, but the U.S. Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) captured the launch and trajectory of the missiles, confirming that Doha was an Israeli target.

"Israel's notification to the U.S. was so short before the missile was finally launched that it was impossible to undo or halt the operation," said a senior U.S. defense official, who called the operation "absolutely unimaginable." U.S. Central Command alerted Gen. Dan Kane, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who then notified the White House, U.S. officials said. According to the White House, Trump instructed U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, Witkoff, to inform Qatar, but it was too late. Qatar said that the US warning was issued about 10 minutes after the missile landed.

While visiting the attacked building, the Wall Street Journal reporter found that most of the middle floor of the building was destroyed by missiles, and the right side of the ground floor was also damaged. However, the structure of the building is still intact, and the rest is almost undamaged, which indicates that the missile uses a small warhead for high-precision strikes.

U.S. intelligence documents leaked in 2024 reportedly revealed Israel's arsenal of air-launched ballistic missiles. The report mentions two different missiles-the Golden Horizon missile and the ISO2 (Rock) missile. Intelligence documents say the missiles were spotted along with F-15s at Hatzerim Air Base in Israel's Negev Desert.

Israeli officials said the attacks on Doha were carried out by 15 Israeli fighter jets, which fired 10 precision missiles at a single target.

Extended reading

What chain reaction will the Israeli air strike in Qatar trigger?

On the afternoon of the 9th local time, an explosion occurred in the northern part of Doha, Qatar. The Israel Defense Forces and the General Administration of National Security (Shin Bet) issued a joint statement on the same day, confirming that Israel had attacked senior members of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

This is the first time that Israel has launched an attack on the territory of Qatar, and the attack on Qatar has always been regarded as an ¡°irresistible red line¡±, but this is no longer the case.¡±The Economist wrote in a report on 9th that this action, which marks the sharp escalation of the Middle East situation, will also affect the relations between the United States, Israel and the Gulf states.

Several explosions in Qatar's capital Doha (Photos)

Qatar may give up its role as a "mediator", and "the hope of peace talks is minimal"

Shortly after Israel confirmed the operation, Hamas issued a statement strongly condemning Israel's attempted assassination of the leader of the Hamas negotiating delegation in Doha, and said the Israeli assassination attempt "failed".

At the same time, the statement wrote that this attack was not only an attack on Qatar's sovereignty, but also undermined the important role played by Qatar and Egypt in mediating the ceasefire and the exchange of Palestinian-Israeli personnel, and exposed the possibility that the Israeli government deliberately undermined any agreement.

Qatar is a key ally of the United States and plays a key role in mediating negotiations and receiving Israel and Hamas delegations. U.S. news agency Axios said the attack was at the time of the U.S. resumption of efforts to push Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement on the Gaza hostage issue and ceasefire. Qatar¡¯s prime minister met with Hamas leaders in Doha on the 8th and urged them to accept the new proposal from the United States, and when the airstrikes occurred, Hamas leaders were meeting to discuss the plan, with some Hamas leaders even travelling from Turkey to Doha to attend the meeting. A senior intelligence official said, ¡°When the bombings occurred, all the core figures of Hamas were in that building.¡±

It is worth noting that Qatar has previously been regarded as a ¡°neutral zone¡± in the Middle East, partly because it has links with the Israeli government.The New York Times that senior Israeli government officials have visited Qatar several times to consult with Qatar¡¯s leaders to rescue Gaza hostages.

Professor Dinglong of the Middle East Research Institute of the Shanghai Foreign Language University said in an interview with the Global Times on the 10th that the Israeli move would extend the war to the Gulf region, making the outflow effect of the Israeli conflict significantly expanded. In the last two years of the Israeli conflict, Qatar has always played an important mediator role, the previous rounds of negotiations were coordinated, and some important consultations were also completed in Doha, etc. This Israeli airstrike on Doha, is likely to seriously undermine the intention of Qatar to mediate, and cut off the key channels of negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

Li Zixin, an assistant researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, believes that as an ally of the United States, Qatar may feel "stabbed in the back by the United States" this time, and its willingness to invest in diplomatic and economic costs to mediate peace in the Middle East will be greatly reduced. He explained that Qatar had actively participated in mediation before, and one of its core goals was to gain the status of "neutral country" in order to safeguard its own security and enhance its influence. But now, it has not only completely failed its original goal, but it has also been placed in a very embarrassing situation.

¡°The two major concerns of the Gulf countries have been further confirmed.¡±

The Economist analysts believe that the airstrikes will affect not only the third year of the war in Gaza, but also the relations between the United States, Israel and the Gulf countries.

¡°The entire diplomatic architecture we have relied on has completely collapsed since the attacks on 7 October 2023,¡± said Gus Omari, a senior researcher at the Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy Studies, citing the New York Times. ¡°Israel has previously tried to see the Gulf Arab states as its potential allies against Iran, but its invasion of Gaza has tightened the diplomatic process, and the current airstrikes on Qatar ¡°further strengthen a growing perception within the region: Israel is becoming a destabilizing actor.¡±

Following the incident, several Gulf nations strongly condemned Israel¡¯s attacks. Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesman Anshari said the attack was a ¡°criminal act¡± and openly violated international law, and Qatar is conducting a ¡°highest-level investigation¡± into the attack. Saudi Arabia¡¯s Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the Israeli attack with ¡°the strongest phrase¡±, calling it a ¡°barbarous aggression¡± and a ¡°open violation of Qatar¡¯s sovereignty¡±.

The picture shows Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Ansari (data map)

The UAE, which led the Arab countries to establish diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020, also condemned the airstrike, calling it ¡°an irresponsible escalation of threats to regional and international security.¡±

The Economist believes that the criticism from the UAE is particularly noteworthy, because the UAE remains Israel's relatively closest country in the region. "Recently, officials of GCC countries have been having two major concerns in their minds: one is to allow Israel to gradually become a regional hegemony, and the other is that the expanding regional war will spread to their country. This time, Israel's attack on Qatar, Both concerns have been further confirmed."

A commentary published by the news media Dialogue on the 9th said that Israel¡¯s attacks on Doha highlighted a harsh reality: even if the Gulf nations wanted to ¡°cut off¡± their regional challenges, these challenges tend to not be easily bypassed, ¡°the Gulf nations are still ¡®hostages¡¯ of the regional situation.¡±

The credibility of the United States as a "security guarantor" for Gulf countries has further declined

The Israeli air strikes on Doha have also questioned Qatar¡¯s and even other Gulf nations¡¯ security defence capabilities.The New York Times said that while Qatar has spent billions of dollars on U.S. defence equipment and has important U.S. military bases in the territory, the incident still makes it difficult for the Gulf nation to resist external attacks.

¡°The Gulf region is in a period of turmoil, but the biggest loser is the United States,¡± said Badal Seif, an assistant professor of history at the University of Kuwait, who said the United States, Israel¡¯s most important external ally and supplier of military equipment, seems either unwilling or unable to curb Israel¡¯s offensive across the region, which is seriously undermining the credibility of the United States as a ¡°security guarantor¡± in the Gulf region.

Zhou Zhijiang, a researcher at the Center for Middle Eastern Research at the University of Qatani, told the Global Times that at present, all parties in the region, including U.S. allies, have been exposed to Israeli security threats, and that concerns about Israel¡¯s likely listing itself as the next target have spread, creating a situation in which everyone is at risk. In this context, U.S. security commitments to ASEAN allies and their credibility are being widely questioned.

However, Ding Long believes that given that Gulf countries lack the ability to confront Israel head-on and have no intention of getting involved in the war, the possibility of Gulf countries including Qatar actively planning or expanding conflicts is extremely low.