‘Why do it now? ’ Israel’s Mossad refused to carry out ground operations in Qatar; agency cited ceasefire concerns

Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency declined to carry out a planned ground operation targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, as per the Washington Post.

Mossad Director David Barnea reportedly opposed the mission due to concerns it could damage the agency’s relationship with Qatari officials mediating ceasefire talks.


‘This time, Mossad was unwilling to do it on the ground,’ a source familiar with the matter was quoted as saying by the Post, adding that the agency viewed Qatar as an important intermediary in talks with Hamas.

“We can get them in one, two, or four years from now, and the Mossad knows how to do it, why do it now?" another source told the Post.

The strike ultimately failed, as Netanyahu appeared to acknowledge days later in an English-language tweet, saying that eliminating the targeted Hamas leaders “would rid the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war.”

Airstrikes deployed instead

Instead of the ground operation, Israel carried out airstrikes on Tuesday and deployed 15 fighter jets that fired 10 missiles from a distance.

Hamas reported that the attack failed to kill senior officials, and instead killed several relatives and aides of its delegation, as well as a Qatari officer.

The assessment was reinforced on Friday when Hamas reported that its Qatar-based leader, Khalil al-Hayya, conducted funeral rites for his son Hammam, confirming he survived the airstrike and dispelling earlier reports that he had been killed, as cited by the Times of Israel.

Internal conflict over strike timing

Israel defence forces chief of staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who has urged prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire, also reportedly objected to the timing of the strike, fearing it could derail negotiations.

Strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer and defence minister Israel Katz, however, supported Netanyahu’s decision to proceed.

Nitzan Alon, the senior IDF officer overseeing hostage negotiations, was not invited to a Monday meeting on the Doha operation, as political leaders expected he would oppose any strike that might endanger hostages, the Post reported.

“The position was clear — there is a deal for the return of the hostages on the table, and the negotiations should be exhausted. Everyone understood the consequences for the hostages and that an operation like this at the current time could harm this possibility,” a senior official with knowledge of the talks was quoted as saying by Channel 12.

Israel cites rare opportunity

Israel said the airstrike was conducted by the Air Force in coordination with the Shin Bet, which monitored the operation from a command center. The Shin Bet typically handles domestic security, while Mossad is responsible for operations abroad.

Current and former Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, said the Qatar airstrike on Tuesday was prompted by a rare opportunity to target key Hamas leaders gathered in one location. They also cited the need to respond to an attack earlier this week in Jerusalem that killed six Israeli civilians and an ambush in Gaza that killed four Israeli soldiers, both claimed by Hamas.