Netanyahu Says Eliminating Qatar-Based Hamas Leaders Could End Gaza War

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that eliminating Hamas leaders residing in Qatar is essential to ending the war in Gaza and securing the release of all hostages. He accused these Hamas chiefs of obstructing ceasefire attempts to prolong the conflict, labeling them as indifferent to the people in Gaza. Israel recently conducted airstrikes targeting Hamas leadership in Doha, which Qatar condemned, and Hamas described these strikes as an assassination of the negotiation process, maintaining their stance on continuing the conflict without a political agreement. Meanwhile, U.S. diplomat Marco Rubio emphasized that the strike would not affect the strong U.S.-Israel alliance, although President Donald Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the attack. Despite intensified Israeli military efforts in Gaza, including urging evacuations and targeting Hamas positions, humanitarian conditions remain dire, with many civilians still trapped amid ongoing bombardments. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum controversially criticized Netanyahu as the main obstacle to freeing hostages, highlighting the complex and polarized nature of the conflict.