Netanyahu spoke to reporters during an event at the US embassy in occupied Jerusalem, following Tel Aviv's attempted assassination of the Hamas negotiating delegation in Qatar.
He considered that "the Shin Bet (General Security Service) and the army carried out the mission in the best possible way and with a precision that astonished the entire world," he claimed, without addressing the outcome of the attack. He continued, "The days are over when those he claimed were 'leaders of terrorism' enjoyed immunity anywhere," according to the Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom.
Netanyahu added, "We have removed the Iranian nuclear threat from our heads. We have great achievements, but we want to end the battle where it began in Gaza," referring to the Israeli war of extermination that has been ongoing for nearly two years. He continued, "This battle (the war on Gaza) can end immediately."
Netanyahu added: "We received the principles proposed by President (Donald) Trump to end the war, which include the immediate release of all our captives (prisoners in Gaza) and the rest of the principles for ending the war set by Israel." He again referred to the attack in Qatar, quoting verse 38 of chapter 18 of the Book of Psalms, one of the books of the Torah: "I will pursue my enemies and overtake them; I will not return until I have destroyed them."
Qatar denies being informed of the attack
Qatar announced Tuesday evening that it had not been notified in advance of the Israeli attack on the headquarters of Hamas leaders in Doha, confirming that the US contact came as the explosions of the attack were being heard.
"The circulating statements that Qatar was informed of the attack in advance are false," Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said in a post on her Twitter account. He added that "the call received from an American official (whose name was not given) came during the sound of explosions resulting from the Israeli attack in Doha."
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"A violation of international law." Turkish officials condemn the Israeli attack on Qatar.
Widespread Arab and international rejection of the targeting of "Hamas leaders" in Doha and calls to curb Israeli aggression.
Earlier on Tuesday, Qatar announced that Israel had launched a "cowardly attack targeting the residential headquarters of several members of Hamas's political bureau in Doha."
The Qatari Foreign Ministry stated that "this criminal aggression and cowardly attack constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms," stressing that "Doha will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and its continued tampering with regional security, or any action targeting its security and sovereignty."
In a statement, it indicated that "investigations are ongoing at the highest level, and further details will be announced as soon as they become available."
The Israeli occupation army quickly announced in a statement that it had attacked the "Hamas leadership" in Doha, using its air force, in cooperation with the General Security Service (Shin Bet).
Later, Hamas announced in a statement that "the enemy failed to assassinate the brothers in the negotiating delegation (it did not name them), while a number of martyrs were killed." It clarified that among the martyrs were Jihad Labad, the director of the office of Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Gaza, and his son, Humam al-Hayya, in addition to three of his companions: Abdullah Abdul Wahid, Moamen Hassouna, and Ahmed al-Mamluk.
In its statement, the movement also mourned Badr Al-Humaidi, a member of the Qatari Internal Security Forces (Lekhwiya), who was also martyred in the attack.
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving 64,605 Palestinians martyred, 163,319 wounded, most of them children and women, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a famine that has claimed the lives of 399 Palestinians, including 140 children.
