After Mossad Refuses Qatar Hit Mission, Netanyahu Orders F-15 & F-35 Airstrikes: Report

Israel’s spy agency Mossad refused to run a secret mission to kill senior Hamas leaders in Qatar, according to a new report by the Washington Post. The report says Israel had first planned to assassinate the leaders through agents before carrying out airstrikes. Mossad, however, backed out over fears the operation could break off hostage ceasefire talks and harm its ties with Qatar, a key mediator in the Middle East.

Israel forced to carry out airstrikes

After Mossad refused to conduct a ground operation, Israel was forced to carry out an airstrike. Two Israelis familiar with the matter gave this information to the Washington Post. Both Israeli sources said that the intelligence agency’s director, David Barnea, opposed the plan due to concerns about Mossad’s future relations with Qatar.

Netanyahu wanted an operation like Ismail Haniyeh’s

The report mentions then Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, who was killed by planting a bomb in his room in Tehran. One source said that this time Mossad was not ready to do such a thing on Qatari soil. Another source said, “We can catch them in one, two or four years and Mossad knows how to do it.”

Hamas leader survived Israeli strike

On Tuesday, Israel had targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital Doha with an attack. Now the Israeli security establishment believes that the attack in Doha failed to kill any top Hamas official. The terror group said on Friday that its executive leader in Qatar, Khalil al-Hayya, survived the attack. Al-Hayya attended the funeral of his son Hammam, who was killed the same day in the Israeli attack. After the failed attack in Doha, reports of heavy opposition from within Israel to this plan began to emerge. People questioned the timing of the attack during ongoing hostage negotiations and the way it was carried out. A senior official familiar with the hostage release and ceasefire agreement talks told Channel 12 that most of the defense establishment had recommended postponing the attack.