Israel Attacks Hamas Inside Qatar

Summary

Amanpour Podcast Summary

Episode: Israel Attacks Hamas Inside Qatar
Date: September 9, 2025
Host: Paula Newton (substituting for Christiane Amanpour)
Podcast: CNN International

---

Episode Overview

This episode covers Israel’s unprecedented strike targeting senior Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar. The move, which marks a dramatic escalation in Israeli tactics and the first such strike in the Gulf state, has drawn swift condemnation from Qatar, its regional allies, and generated intense debate about the consequences for ceasefire negotiations, regional stability, and the fate of Israeli hostages in Gaza. The host interviews a diverse slate of key figures: former Israeli General Amos Yadlin, Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti, former Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher, former US Middle East peace negotiator Aaron David Miller, and Mina Al-Oraibi of The National in the UAE. The episode aims to unpack the rationale for the strike, analyze reactions regionally and internationally, and explore the implications for peace, hostages negotiations, and Middle Eastern diplomacy.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Details and Immediate Fallout of the Israeli Strike in Qatar

• Description: Israel launched a precision strike targeting Hamas leadership in Doha, Qatar—the first time Israel has attacked in the Gulf state. Israeli PM Netanyahu claimed full responsibility, citing the recent Hamas attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians as justification ([01:03], [01:51]).
• International Response: Qatar labeled the attack a "blatant violation of international law" and its allies, as well as the UN, condemned the strike for undermining mediation efforts ([01:03], [18:06], [19:12]).
• US Involvement: The Trump administration was notified prior to the strike, but the level of notice and extent of US involvement remains unclear ([02:11], [27:27], [37:04], [48:22]).

Notable Quotes:

• “It is the first Israeli strike in the Gulf state and marks a significant escalation of its tactics against the militant group.” — Paula Newton ([01:03])

---

2. Israeli Military Rationale and Policy (Interview with Amos Yadlin)

• Strategy Explained: Yadlin explained the strike sought to remove Hamas leadership in Doha, who—according to Israel—were obstructing ceasefire negotiations and had not agreed to recent US proposals. He criticized Qatar for financing and politically supporting Hamas ([02:58], [04:54]).
• Doctrine: Referenced longstanding Israeli doctrine of targeting perpetrators of attacks against Israel, dating back to Munich 1972, and now October 7th, 2024 ([02:58]).
• Risk Assessment: Acknowledged the difficulty of surgical strikes but defended Israeli efforts to minimize collateral damage ([09:59]).

Notable Quotes:

• “The main issue is to make sure that the heads of the terror organizations… will be removed as an obstacle to end the war.” — Amos Yadlin ([02:58])
• “Anybody who participates in this massacre… will be removed, will be targeted.” — Amos Yadlin ([03:39])
• “Nobody can remove only the bad guys. However, I think this consideration was high on the Israeli Air Force planers.” — Amos Yadlin ([10:26])

---

3. Hostage Families’ Perspective and Humanitarian Concerns

• Voices from Hostage Families: Multiple family members expressed deep worry, stating the attack may doom remaining hostages rather than save them. They criticized the timing and method, pleading for a focus on saving lives over retribution ([05:25], [08:13]).
• Emotional Testimony: One mother called the strike “the execution of her son, not the savior” ([08:13]).
• General Yadlin’s Response: Expressed sympathy but reiterated that ending the war requires removing those obstructing peace, including leadership in Doha ([06:03], [07:14], [08:30]).

Notable Quotes:

• “We don’t know who will be now negotiating with Israel about the remaining hostages.” — Hostage family member ([05:29])
• “My heart is with the families. I am calling to end the war… by first bringing back all the hostages in one pause and end the war.” — Amos Yadlin ([06:03])

---

4. In-depth Analysis from CNN’s Jerusalem Correspondent Jeremy Diamond

• Israeli Open Responsibility: Unusual blunt admission by Israel—operation was military, not intelligence (Mossad)—indicates a desire to send a public message to Hamas and Qatar ([12:43]).
• Effects on Negotiations: Killing the top Hamas negotiators may stall or doom existing ceasefire and hostage release talks—“puts the possibility of reaching such an agreement further away. I think that in and of itself is unquestionable” ([14:56], [16:22]).
• Domestic Reaction in Israel: Majority of Israelis want hostages home; widespread anxiety and frustration that the strike undermines negotiations ([15:45], [16:22]).

Notable Quotes:

• “This attack could open the door to an end of the war in Gaza… But… the Israeli Prime Minister may just have killed Hamas chief negotiator and the senior leadership, who would have to accept and move forward with any potential agreement.” — Jeremy Diamond ([14:10])

---

5. Palestinian and Regional Reaction (Mustafa Barghouti & Others)

• Barghouti’s Critique: Accused Israel of sabotaging talks, pursuing ethnic cleansing, and not caring about hostages or peace. Emphasized the humanitarian cost to Palestinians and criticized US complicity ([19:54], [24:55]).
• Regional Fears: Warned that the attack demonstrates Israel’s willingness to violate any state’s sovereignty, posing a threat to all Middle Eastern countries ([22:39], [24:55]).
• Broader Hostage Issue: Noted the international focus on Israeli hostages ignores 14,000 Palestinian prisoners, including children ([19:54]).

Notable Quotes:

• “How could Israel say they were doing that to achieve an agreement when they killed or tried to kill those who are negotiating with them?” — Mustafa Barghouti ([19:54])
• “This is like an execution order against these prisoners.” — Mustafa Barghouti ([19:54])
• “Israel is behaving as an imperialist state in control of the Middle East… attacking anybody and everybody.” — Mustafa Barghouti ([22:39])

---

6. Broader Diplomatic and Regional Consequences

• Jordan and UAE Reactions: Both countries sharply condemned the attack and warned it imperils prospects for regional peace and the Abraham Accords ([27:27], [43:44]).
• Former FM Marwan Muasher on Peace: Warned Israel may have killed not just Hamas negotiators, but also the "prospect for a hostage deal," and perhaps "any prospects for a regional peace" ([28:42]).
• Aaron David Miller’s Analysis: Described a deadlock where both Israel and Hamas have no incentive or leadership to pursue peace. Predicted continued violence in absence of meaningful outside intervention—criticized both US administrations for ignoring the need for consequences on Israel ([30:47], [37:04]).
• Sanctions as Only Possible Leverage: Both Barghouti and Muasher mentioned sanctions and full embargo as only realistic means to restrain Israel ([27:17], [35:34]).

Notable Quotes:

• “Frankly, the only conclusion one can have from such Israeli actions is that they are not interested in a hostage deal. They are interested in prolonging the war.” — Marwan Muasher ([28:42])
• “Avenging the dead for political purposes and not redeeming the living, the hostages, is in fact the way Benjamin Netanyahu has approached both the tactics and strategy in Gaza.” — Aaron David Miller ([32:31])
• “Recognizing a Palestinian state by itself… will remain symbolic if it is not coupled with sanctions against Israel.” — Marwan Muasher ([35:34])

---

7. Perspectives on US Role and Future Mediation

• US Notification and Plausible Deniability: Uncertainty remains about whether the US genuinely attempted to restrain Israel or simply allowed the operation to proceed unchecked ([37:04], [48:22]).
• Qatar’s Position: As a central mediator now under direct attack, Qatar faces pressure to step back. The question arises—if Qatar stops mediating, who can take its place? Egypt and Jordan are possible alternatives, but Qatar’s role remains pivotal ([52:10]).
• Regional Leverage: Gulf countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia) hold economic and strategic leverage, but have so far failed to effectively restrain Israeli actions ([47:16], [48:17]).

Notable Quotes:

• “If Qatar does in fact walk away from any kind of negotiating, who do they turn to in the region next?” — Paula Newton ([52:10])

---

8. Gulf Reaction (Interview with Mina Al-Oraibi, The National, UAE)

• Political Shock: Gulf nations, particularly the UAE, were stunned by the breach of sovereignty. Consider it a direct attack on the Gulf and a red line ([43:44]).
• Future of Gulf Mediation: Expressed skepticism toward claims by the White House and Israeli government that this could open new paths to peace, insisting more war does not create peace ([45:30], [49:16]).
• Humanitarian Focus: Emphasized that both Israeli hostages and Palestinians face immense suffering. Only diplomacy and a genuine ceasefire—possibly through US pressure—can end the conflict ([49:50]).

Notable Quotes:

• “More war doesn’t create peace. And we've seen that in the last two years or so in the region.” — Mina Al-Oraibi ([45:30])
• “There is a sense that a line has been crossed that Israel would attack a Gulf country.” — Mina Al-Oraibi ([43:44])

---

Important Timestamps

• [01:03] — News of the Israeli strike in Doha, Qatar; immediate regional condemnation.
• [02:58] — Gen. Amos Yadlin explains Israeli military and political rationale.
• [05:25] — Hostage family members react with fear and criticism of the strike.
• [12:43] — Jeremy Diamond analyzes Israel’s unprecedented claim of responsibility and political objectives.
• [19:54] — Mustafa Barghouti condemns the strike as an attack on diplomacy and accuses US complicity.
• [28:42] — Marwan Muasher and Aaron David Miller on regional ramifications and limits to peace prospects.
• [35:34] — Discussion of international recognition of Palestine and potential sanctions.
• [43:44] — UAE’s Mina Al-Oraibi describes shock in the Gulf, skepticism toward White House/Mediator claims.

---

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “This attack could open the door to an end of the war in Gaza… But… the Israeli Prime Minister may just have killed Hamas chief negotiator and the senior leadership, who would have to accept and move forward with any potential agreement.” — Jeremy Diamond ([14:10])
• “It's time that Qatar… will also pay a price and will understand that they are playing with fire.” — Amos Yadlin ([03:59])
• “This is like an execution order against these prisoners.” — Mustafa Barghouti ([19:54])
• “Frankly, the only conclusion one can have from such Israeli actions is that they are not interested in a hostage deal. They are interested in prolonging the war.” — Marwan Muasher ([28:42])
• “Avenging the dead for political purposes and not redeeming the living, the hostages, is in fact the way Benjamin Netanyahu has approached both the tactics and strategy in Gaza.” — Aaron David Miller ([32:31])
• “More war doesn’t create peace.” — Mina Al-Oraibi ([45:30])

---

Conclusion

This episode provides a sobering, multi-perspective look at the most severe escalation in Israeli-Hamas dynamics in years, with particular emphasis on the ramifications of striking in Qatar and the subsequent blow to regional efforts at mediation. All guests, whether Israeli, Palestinian, American, or Arab, highlight the uncertainty now clouding ceasefire prospects, hostage releases, and peace in the region. Repeated throughout is the core question: can diplomacy persist in the midst of such escalation, or has a red line been crossed for good? The episode closes with deep skepticism about new opportunities for peace, a spotlight on humanitarian suffering, and a clear indication that regional and international actors must decide whether and how to meaningfully intervene.

---

Transcript

[A]

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Amanpur. Here's what's coming up. Israel launches an unprecedented attack targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar. Netanyahu claims full Israeli responsibility, while Qatar and its regional allies condemn the escalation. We asked key experts what we can expect to unfold. Now I speak to former Israeli General Amos Yalden about the military strategy behind that strike. Then we'll hear from Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti in the West Bank. Plus, former Jordanian Foreign Minister Madwan Muashar will join me live alongside former US Middle east negotiator Aaron David Miller.

[B]

Paula?

[A]

And welcome to the program, everyone. I'm Paula Newton in New York, sitting in for Krishna. Israel has carried out an attack targeting senior Hamas leaders in Qatar's capital, Doha. It is the first Israeli strike in the Gulf state and marks a significant escalation of its tactics against the militant group. Several blasts were heard and a building in the north of the city appears to be badly damaged. Qatar is calling the attack a quote, unquote, blatant violation of international law. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country accepts full responsibility for the operation, which he claims was justified after a mass shooting in Jerusalem on Monday. I want you to listen now. Yesterday, four of our soldiers were killed.

[B]

By Hamas terrorists in Gaza and six.

[A]

Israeli civilians were brutally murdered in a bus stop in Jerusalem this morning.

[C]

Hamas proudly took credit for both of these actions.

[B]

At noon today, I convened the heads.

[C]

Of Israel's security organizations and authorized a.

[A]

Surgical precision strike on the terrorist chiefs of Hamas. US Officials say the Trump administration was informed ahead of the attack. Qatar, a key US Ally, has played a significant role in as a mediator in ongoing talks to try and reach a ceasefire in Gaza. Among those targeted was in fact Hamas's chief negotiator, Khalil Al Haya. That's according to a senior Israeli official. We want to bring in retired general and former head of Israeli military intelligence Amos Yadlen. He joins me now from Washington. It is good to have you here, sir. I want to ask you just right off the bat, bluntly, what do you believe was both the political and military rationale for this strike?

[C]

It's always a pleasure to be with you, Paola. I think the main issue is to make sure that the heads of the terror organizations that are now more extreme when they sit in a 7 stars hotel in Qatar and not agreeing to the last proposal by President Trump that they will be removed as an obstacle to end the war. Second, Qatar was very unhelpful in supporting Hamas, giving it a Lot of money, weapons and supporting it diplomatically and was not helpful also in the negotiation which the US and the Egyptians were trying to promote. Last but not least, Israel has a doctrine since the Munich Games massacre that anybody who participates in this massacre and very much in the 7 October massacre will be removed, will be targeted. Anyone who planned the 7th of October massacre and all the terrorists that killed Israeli kids, Israeli women, Israeli civilians, 900 of them, everybody who participates will be removed. And many that were in Qatar were among them. Last but not least, Qatar is financing a lot of anti Israeli activities all over the world, but especially in your country, in the US and it's time that Qatar that using its money and Al Jazeera to spoil any positive political process will also pay a price and will understand that they are playing with fire.

[A]

General Yalden, I have to point out that Israel has been negotiating with Qatar. They have used them as trustworthy negotiators in the past and that the United States at this point in time has been leaning on Qatar to try and help in these negotiations. But I also do want to point out that CNN has spoken to family members of the hostages who say, notwithstanding the fact that they do want to see the Hamas leadership punished, that this was not the time and this was not the way.

[D]

We're very worried, very, very worried.

[E]

We don't know who will be now negotiating with Israel about the remaining hostages.

[A]

Still hostages suffering there.

[D]

I believe that taking military actions on.

[A]

Hamas leaders can wait.

[D]

And right now what we need to.

[A]

Be focused on is saving the hostages. General, I have to ask you, it is such a tough situation for these families. What do you say to them? This is an unprecedented strike on a country that claims that in good faith they were trying to help to get to the release of those hostages.

[C]

My heart is with the families. I am calling to end the war in the last year by first bringing back all the hostages in one pause and end the war. Israeli withdrawal and removing of Hamas from Gaza. This is a goal that I support and the families will agree for it for sure. Unfortunately, I'm not running the negotiation. And President Trump, who is running the negotiation, put on the table in the last three days a proposal to end the war which is very similar to my plan. And unfortunately, Hamas leaders in Qatar, unlike Hamas leaders in Gaza, refuse to go along this line. So I hope for the families to seize their loved ones as soon as possible. I want this war to be over.

[A]

But do you believe that this strike is what is going to bring those family members home? Because right now those families are terrified. They do not believe that this kind of a strike will bring their family members home sooner.

[C]

How future will tell, not how those extremes in the Hamas leaders, those who refuse to end the war all the time, those who haven't said yes to President Trump proposals, are now removed. So not tomorrow, not the day after, but I think within weeks we will see that the leaders of Hamas in Gaza, who are suffering with the 2 million Palestinians in Gaza and want to end the war, but those in Qatar will refuse to do it. I think not in the short run, but a little bit after that, in the mid run, we will see an end to this war. In a way, the fact that Hamas leaders like those who were targeted in Qatar this morning will be removed is a step forward to end this war that should be ended almost a year ago.

[A]

And I do want to say that, you know, another one of the family members, a mother, posted on X saying that, look, she believes this is actually the execution of her son, not the savior for her son during this strike. I'm sure you've seen it as well.

[C]

I saw it and my heart is with the families. But what is happening? That Hamas is unwilling to end the war as much as some of the Israeli coalition elements like Benqvir and Smotrich. So we have to remove those who are against ending the war and bring these hostages back, but not in any price. And the price that these leaders of Hamas are putting is unacceptable. We should end this war in a package, in a deal that will include four returning of all the hostages, withdrawal of Israeli forces, removing Hamas from power, and a side letter between Israel and America on the models that have been done on Lebanon, on Hezbollah, that if Hamas will rebuild itself as an armed terror organization, Israel has the right to go back and hit Hamas, but the families will get their loved one at home before that. And this is the outline that we have to promote both the Trump administration, the Israeli government and those who haven't pushed Hamas good enough, which is the people in Doha.

[A]

General, I want to lean on your decades of experiences, both in military intelligence and also with the air force. Is there really such a thing as a surgical strike? You know, how much culture, collateral damage could this have caused? And you heard people screaming there in Doha. There was certainly a lot of panic, a lot of terror. Perhaps Qatari citizens could have been hurt or killed as well. What are the implications of that? How did you see this operation unfolding?

[C]

I think that in any military attack, there is proportionality to the goals that you want to achieve. Nobody can remove only the bad guys. However, I think this consideration was high on the Israeli Air Force planers. I know very well the Israeli Air Force. I know very well the intelligence. And I think they tried to do it as clean as possible the way they did it, by the way, in a sana with the Houthis government. Those who care about civilians should bring back the hostages that are seven and five days in Gaza. These people haven't seen the Red Cross. These people were starved. And Hamas, who is basically hiding and shielding himself, shielding himself behind civilians, is to blame in this war. Hamas is responsible to the killing of the people of Gaza because he put all his command post and all his camps and the places that firing at Israel civilian population without any discrimination they have to be to stop shielding themselves behind these civilians. And don't blame the Israeli Air Force, which is the most precise organization in a war that I ever met in my professional life, which is unfortunately now close to 50 years.

[A]

General Dalian, we will leave it there for now. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

[C]

Thank you, Paolo. It's a pleasure being with you.

[A]

Now, for more on all this, we want to bring in our Jeremy Dimon in Jerusalem. And Jeremy, you just heard that interview there. But what more are we learning about this attack from Israeli authorities themselves? Because unlike other military operations they've carried out, they very quickly came out and took responsibility for this.

[F]

That's right. And that was a signal in and of itself, the fact that this was not apparently conducted by the Mossad, Israel's intelligence service, but rather by the Israeli military in cooperation with the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service signaled that Israel wanted the world to know, wanted Qatar to know, wanted Hamas to know that it was responsible for this strike and was making no bones about it. And indeed, we just heard from the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu directly, who addressed this strike, took credit for it and talked about the fact that it shows that that the days of where the heads of terror enjoyed immunity anywhere are over. He said he will not allow such immunity for the murderers of our people. Very much framing these strikes in the context of being retaliation for the October 7th massacre, which the Israeli military and security services have had all heads of Hamas responsible for. What was most interesting in the remarks of the Israeli prime Minister, though, was the part where he talked about what could happen next. And the Prime Minister said that this attack could open the door to an end of the war in Gaza, noting that Israel has accepted the principles put forward by the American government in terms of this latest ceasefire and hostage release proposal. And he said that if Hamas accepts it, then this can quickly lead to an end of the war. But here's the one problem. The Israeli Prime Minister may just have killed Hamas chief negotiator and the senior Hamas leadership, who would have to accept and move forward with any potential agreement. And so the real question now, and one that's been raised by Qatari officials, was, was the Israeli government trying to undermine that ceasefire and hostage release negotiating process given the critical juncture at which this strike strike took place, a strike that was months in the planning, but only executed days after the United States moved forward with this new effort to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and to bring the hostages home. The Israeli Prime Minister now carrying out a strike that, at least in the short term, will put the possibility of reaching such an agreement further away. I think that in and of itself is unquestionable. And we've heard the fears of many of the hostage families being exposed to expressed today that that is exactly what will happen. The real question is what happens down the line? Will Qatar, which has just seen its sovereignty violated by these Israeli strikes, will Qatar continue to remain involved as a mediator, the key mediator between Israel and Hamas that it has been over the course of the last two years of war, or will it withdraw from the process altogether? Who will take over from Hamas if indeed the senior Hamas leaders are confirmed in to have been killed? And where does that, of course, leave the 48 hostages held by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups in Gaza? And where does it leave the possibility of a ceasefire in Gaza?

[A]

Yeah, and Jeremy, we know we do not know the fate of the Hamas leadership there, if they were injured or killed or happened to escape this kind of a strike. And I will point out that Qatari officials kind of seem to be claiming that this was done by Israel in order to undermine any kind of a negotiation process between Hamas and Israel. And so I'm wondering about the wider reaction there, where you are in Israel. There has been an outpouring in the last few weeks, understanding that majority Israelis want the hostages home. And now everyone understanding that this move by their Israeli government makes things all the more difficult.

[F]

Yeah, that's right. I mean, you think about the last few weeks, we saw Hamas initially accepting a proposal that Israel itself had previously been supportive of a temporary ceasefire that would see the release of about half of the living hostages. Israel said that it had already moved on, that it was now seeking a total deal for all of the hostages and an end of the war in Gaza. Rather than a partial deal. Instead, the Israeli government chose to begin moving forward with plans for a major offensive to capture and conquer Gaza City, where 1 million people are now in the process of being forcibly displaced. But then we saw on Sunday the United States putting forward this latest proposal seeking to get Hamas to agree to release all of the hostages in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners and a ceasefire that would see negotiations to end the war in Gaza, a ceasefire that would stay in Poland place as long as those negotiations were continuing. The United States said that Israel had positively responded to it. Hamas was in the process of reviewing that proposal when its senior leadership was struck in this Israeli attack in the Qatari capital today. And so again for for people in Israel, including the families of the hostages who said today that they were following the news of this strike with considerable anxiety and uncertainty about what it means for the future. Many people here feeling like it puts a cease fire and hostage release deal further away. Again, at least in the short term, we will see ultimately what it means for the end game here for the war in Gaza and for the hostages themselves.

[A]

Indeed we will. Jeremy Dimon for us in Jerusalem. Grateful to you, want you to stay with cnn. We will be right back after a quick break. I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, host of the Chasing Life podcast.

[G]

If you think about your devices that can integrate vocal biomarkers to help understand your health, that's really where the future is going in my opinion.

[A]

Dr. Yael Bunsusan is a laryngologist. She is director of the University of South Florida's Health Voice Center.

[E]

She is co leading research there on.

[F]

Using AI to try and detect diseases.

[A]

And perhaps even treat them. Listen to Chasing Life streaming now wherever.

[F]

You get your podcasts.

[A]

So how is the rest of the region reacting to Israel's strikes in Qatar? As we've mentioned, the Qatari Foreign Ministry is strongly condemning the attack, calling it, quote, cowardly. While the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres highlighted Qatar's very positive role in in ceasefire negotiations.

[B]

I condemn this fragrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar.

[C]

All parties must work towards achieving a.

[B]

Permanent ceasefire, not destroying it.

[A]

But what about the Palestinian leadership? That has a lot at stake here. We want to bring in longtime Palestinian politician and former peace negotiator Mustafa Barghouti. And he joins us now from Ramallah in the West Bank. And it is good to see you and get your reaction as we continue to parse what has just happened here. And I want to get from you, just really indicate to us what you believe the reaction in the region will be.

[B]

Thank you, Paola. And I'm sorry to say that we've heard so many lies by your Israeli guest moments ago. But nevertheless, I think this operation means two things very clearly. First, Israel attacked the negotiating team of Hamas while they were sitting discussing the Palestinian response to the American proposal. How could Israel say that they were doing that to achieve an agreement when they killed or tried to kill those who are negotiating with them? Second, this attack happened in Qatar, the most peaceful country probably in the region. A country that never had a conflict with anybody, and a country that have played the role of the main mediator between Israel and Hamas and between Israel and the other Palestinian groups. And if it wasn't for Qatar, Israel would not have seen all these Israeli prisoners who have been released so far. So, in my opinion, I totally agree with the Qatari estimation what happened is an act to undermine the possibility of reaching a ceasefire agreement. And what proves that is the escalation of the Israeli military attacks on Gaza City and the Israeli order to evacuate no less than 1.1 million people by force, by bombardment, by killing people. And it is very clear that Israel never gave up its plan of total ethnic cleansing of the population of Gaza. This operation shows also that the Israeli establishment and this Israeli fascist government does not care about the Israeli prisoners or captives. If they cared about them, they would not have done this, because this is exactly as the mother of one of these captives said. This is like an execution order against these prisoners. And by the way, I am really unhappy about the fact that everybody speaks only about the 50 Israeli prisoners, and nobody speaks about the 14,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 400 children, who are kept as hostages in Israeli prisons. Anyhow, the most shocking thing is the American complicity in this matter. How could the United States allow such an operation to take place?

[A]

But is that not to the debate? Is that not the debate, though, at this point in time? Do you believe, you truly believe the United States allowed this, that they knew ahead of time and turned a blind eye to this?

[B]

Well, we have reports from the Israeli side and from the American side, both admitting that Israel informed the United States that before the operation was. Was done. And we remember how the United States of America and President Trump stopped the Israeli planes when they were half the way on their way to Iran to bombard it at the end of the war, then. So if he wanted, he could have stopped it. And that makes all of us believe that Trump's proposal was nothing but a ploy, was nothing but a trap established exactly to allow Israel to achieve this goal of assassinating the people they were targeting. But the most important thing, and you asked me about the reaction of the countries in this region, is that now the message, as the head of the Israeli parliament said, the message is now sent and received by all Middle Eastern countries. What does that mean? Does that mean that Israel is behaving as an imperialist state in control of the Middle east, in attacking Lebanon, attacking Syria, attacking Yemen, attacking Iran, and now attacking even Qatar, the peaceful Qatar. That means we are dealing here with a country that behaves as an imperialist country, targeting anybody and everybody. And we've never seen such behavior by any country probably in modern history since Nazi Germany, which was attacking its neighbors, attacking everybody else.

[A]

Okay, but so, Mustafa, then where do you go from here? Whether it's the Palestinian National Initiative, whether it's Jordan, whether it's Qatar, whether it's Saudi Arabia. Prime Minister Netanyahu and his defense minister, Mr. Katz, had said that they were fully justified because of Monday's shooting in Jerusalem. Israel, of course, continues to say that what they are doing is defending themselves. You just heard General Yadden said that Hamas had this coming. So what do you do right now? Because are you expecting that perhaps the Israeli response will become even more ferocious in the weeks and months to come?

[B]

Israel is not defending itself. Israel is aggressively attacking others. They've killed 65,000 Palestinians up till now, including 20,000 children. And every day they kill hundred more. In Gaza, every day. They kill 25 Palestinian more children every day. They are causing so much damage to the level that already 90% of all homes have been destroyed in Gaza. Who needs security more than anybody else? The Palestinians. We are attacked even in the west bank, continuously by settler terrorist attacks. Continuously. But at the end of the time, at the end of the story, the question is why these leaders of Israel, in my opinion, who behave as fascists, don't recognize that Israel is becoming a pariah state worldwide, don't understand why the people of Spain, the people of Colombia, the people of Mexico, and even the people of the United States are starting to demonstrate against them and condemn them because of their aggressive behavior. They don't even recognize that they are dragging even the United States of America into a situation of isolation because of these aggressive policies, because they continue to occupy other people and oppress other people and conduct apartheid against the Palestinian people. That is the real question. What will happen? I believe now we'll see even a much bigger rise of countries who demand imposing sanctions on Israel. And I think this is the only way to restrain this country. I don't call for other countries to attack Israel, but I'm calling for total and complete embargo on Israel, especially military embargo, boycott, divestment, sanctions, to make these leaders understand that they cannot continue like this because they are harming the future of Palestinians and Israelis. They're killing any potential for peace. And believe me, I don't think the Arab and Muslim countries will continue to behave in the same manner as before because now they've discovered that even if you are in alliance with the United States, when it comes to to what Israel wants to do, nobody is protected. This will have a very serious impact on so many countries, especially the Gulf countries in the Arab world.

[A]

Mustafa Barghouti we will leave it there. Really grateful for your insights. Appreciate it.

[B]

Thank you, Pablo.

[A]

Now, the US Has a close security relationship, as we have just been discussing, with both Israel and Qatar. And Doha is of course, home to the Al Ouled Air Base, the largest American military facility in the region. U.S. officials say the Trump administration was in fact notified ahead of the strikes. We don't know how much notification they actually received. Meantime, Qatar's regional neighbor, Jordan, has joined the growing chorus of condemnation, even going as far as saying they will stand with Qatar if it chooses to respond to the violence. Former Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Mu' Achar joins me now from Amman alongside former Middle east peace negotiation for the U.S. state Department. Aaron David Miller, he is in Washington, D.C. i am going to begin, certainly in Jordan with regional reaction. You just heard Mustafa there, I hope, talk about the fact that there will be different behavior in the region. Do you believe that's what will happen? Because, again, Hamas is not a friend. People in the regions, many in the Arab and Muslim world, would say that they have been nothing but a headache there. Do you believe they will act with more purpose now in order to try and stop Israel from these kinds of audacious strikes?

[D]

Paula, the region is not now thinking about Hamas and what is happening to Hamas only. They're thinking about peace in general. You've heard the nations from the Saudis, from the Emirat, from the very people that were trying to forge a regional peace with Israel. What does the Abrahamic Accords mean now? You know, after today, when Israel feels it can violate the sovereignty of any country it chooses, it cannot talk about regional peace. What I'm afraid of is that Israel today, if it has failed to kill Hamas leaders, it has certainly succeeded in killing any prospects for a hostage deal. But it is killing also any prospects for A regional peace. The whole idea of the Arab world coming to peace with Israel is not going to materialize when Israel feels free to bomb Syria, bomb Lebanon now, bomb Qatar, which is a US ally, and all while negotiating a peace deal that would have released all the Israeli hostages. Frankly, you know, the only conclusion one can have from such Israeli actions is that they are not interested in hostage deal. They are interested in prolonging the war for a very good reason that Israel's, you know, the coalition supporters in the Israeli government, Benkvir and Smotrich, don't want a hostage deal, don't want to end the war and it appears that Netanyahu is appeasing them. There's no other conclusion because it just does not make sense to kill the people you are negotiating with.

[A]

Aaron. David Miller, you and I have continued a conversation now that has gone on for months, unfortunately, and you have been quite pessimistic since the last ceasefire agreement. Again, we now have this escalation. I mean, how do you see it? Because we've certainly had the two sides laid out here. And now Qatar thought to be an honest broker. What do you do at this point in time to try and bring a resolution here?

[E]

Well, first of all, Paul, thanks for having me. It's great to be here with Marwan, if he's still on a friend and a colleague.

[D]

I am.

[E]

Look, my pessimism, realism, call it what you want, is grounded in the reality that you have two combatants, a government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, the most right wing government in the history of the State of Israel. You have a Prime Minister who's on trial for bribery for unbreach of trust, Jerusalem District Court four years running, which imposes a certain set of unique requirements on Netanyahu's part. And you have Hamas, which is desperate for survival. It may have been hollowed out as a military organization. It exists now as an insurgency. Four Israelis were killed yesterday in the outskirts of Gaza and the Israelis are now threatening a major ground up in Gaza which probably will threaten the lives of the hostages. And certainly the attacks today may well push Hamas to kill some of the hostages. I hope that God forbid, that's not the case in order to demonstrate. So you've got two combatants who share mutually implacable endgames. And there is no external mediator, not the Europeans, not the key Arab states, Israel's treaty partners or the Abraham Accord countries. And now to my main point, not Washington, there is frankly Benjamin Netanyahu and I think Marwan is 100% right. I think Avenging the dead for political purposes and not redeeming the living, the hostages is in fact the way Benjamin Netanyahu has approached both the tactics and strategy in Gaza. It suits his political interests that the war continue at some, at some level. So I think you have a situation where it is more than likely that this without, without some external intervention, that this war is going to continue not just beyond the two year mark, October 7th, hard to believe, but probably into next year. And the one missing ingredient, Paula, is the absence of leadership. There is no leadership in Israel. There's no effective leadership for the Palestinian national movement, centralized, legitimate leaders. Hamas? No. Abbas, no. And in Washington, Donald Trump continues to acquiesce, if not enable Israel's strategy on the west bank and in Gaza. We'll see. There's going to be a press conference soon. Maybe it's occurring now. We'll see what the administration's reaction is. It. But one last point strains the credulity to the breaking point, however, that Benjamin Netanyahu did this even though he claims it was in direct response to the six Israelis who were killed in remote. Israelis have been talking about this. Israel Katz, the defense minister, chief of staff of trying to Hamas's leaders abroad. We'll see how the Trump administration now responds.

[A]

Marwan, if I can get you to pick up there because as you know, Aram was just saying this is really avenging the deaths that had happened, not redeeming the case of the living right now. And yet, and yet you just heard General Yadin say to us as well that there is not going to be peace at any price. It seems Israel has decided that now.

[D]

I think Israel has decided this a long time ago, frankly, the days when, you know, we had hopes that we could achieve peace with Israel, that Israel would end the occupation of Palestinian land, that it would help establish a two state solution. Those days are over. Today Prime Minister Netanyahu calls a two state solution a reward for terrorism. Today, Smotrich wants to annex 82% of the west bank and drive the Palestinians out of the west bank, let alone Gaza. So Israel has decided, it seems some time ago that it does not. It's not interested in peace. It is interested in grabbing the land and driving the Palestinians out of it. Again, I see no other conclusion than this because what is happening is.

[A]

Marwan, what do you ask global allies to do then? We have had certainly countries say that here in New York in the coming weeks they will recognize a Palestinian state. How do they need to back that up in order to change the dynamic right now that both of you speak of.

[D]

Marwan, recognizing a Palestinian state by itself is a positive move, but it's not enough. It will remain a symbolic move if it is not coupled with sanctions against Israel. We have seen this, these type of sanctions happen when Russia invaded Ukraine. In fact, in the first week after Russia invaded Ukraine, we've seen sanctions applied. If the move is to be serious, it has to be coupled with actions against Israel. Otherwise it will remain symbolic and Israel can go ahead and annex the land without any accountability whatsoever.

[A]

Erin, I do want to get to the issue that you talk about, which is there is no leadership. What generally you would turn to the United States in this situation. The president himself, beyond what he said. He also posted categorically on Truth Social saying a warning to Hamas. This is my last warning. There will not be another one saying that Hamas must accept this latest deal that he says was on the table. So, Aaron, do you believe that that does not give the United States plausible deniability that one way or the other the United States knew about this and was willing to give Israel its tacit approval? I mean, I add the minute after this attack took place, the prime minister went to the US Embassy in order to give his speech.

[E]

Look, I think that the Netanyahu government, the statement that was issued gives the administration, if it wants to take it, plausible deniability. The Israelis immediately said, this is our operation. We did it. We assume full responsibility for it. The only reaction from the administration has been a piece of reporting by Barack Ravid in which an unnamed unidentified US Official said that the administration was given a heads up shortly before the attacks began. Whether or not the precision strikes were already in train is unclear. But if the administration wants to play this game that we really didn't know and we're really upset about this, but we're not going to impose any costs or consequences on the current Israeli government. They can actually do that. Look, Paula, I think, and Marwan knows this as well as I, if this weren't a negotiation between Israel and Egypt or Israel and Jordan, an American president would have a margin for pressuring both sides. That would be pretty expansive. But it's a negotiation between Israel and an organization by American law and statute that is a terror organization, an organization that did what it did on October 7th and that last August willfully murdered an American citizen, American president, even this one. And again, I worked and voted for Republicans and Democrats. Donald Trump is pursuing a policy in many respects toward this region, tethered to a galaxy far, far away, not to the realities back here on planet earth, even this president is limited politically in his capacity to pressure Israel or to appear to give Hamas any sort of break because of the nature of Israel's negotiating partner. But I will say this, I'll make it very clear. During the Biden administration and the Trump administration, Washington has not imposed a single cost or consequence on the Netanyahu government that normal humans would regard as serious or sustained pressure. Not a one. And I might add the Europeans, whatever their purposes, domestic political pressure, the humanitarian situation in Gaza, what they are doing has not affected Israel in the least. Finally, what surprises me and Marwan can comment on this, is that Israel's treaty partners, Israel, Egypt and Jordan and the Abraham accord countries, none of them in the face of thousands of Palestinian deaths and a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, have sought to impose a single cost or consequence on Israel or the US and that's something that 15, 20 years ago would probably not have been the case. In fact, Arab leaders can't get to Washington fast enough in order to earn what good graces of Donald Trump.

[A]

We'Ll just let in here. So please react to that because what Aaron is saying is completely true. And I have asked already and continue to ask you, how do you react in the region? Because if you can't get Israel's attention, can you get the attention of the US President?

[D]

You know, Arab states have been trying to get the attention of the US President. King Abdullah has been in Washington more than once, talked to the US President about an Arab plan to reconstruct Gaza, but also to offer a political horizon to the Palestinians. None of that has happened. The fact is, Paula, that the first ceasefire in Gaza was made possible only when Trump intervened. If Trump did not intervene, we would not have had a first ceasefire. And until the United States intervenes, I'm afraid that the violence is going to continue. Except today with no prospects for a hostage deal and you know, with the possibility of all hostages being killed instead of released, the United States needs to act. As long as Israel feels it can violate other countries sovereignty without accountability, it is going to keep doing so. And you know, we will see what the press conference will say today. But I think the time has come for the US President to intervene again.

[A]

I think it's clear though from President Trump and the warning that he sent out to Hamas that he believes it was time for Hamas to come to the negotiating table and accept the deal that was on the table for them. Aaron, David Miller, Marwan Masher, thank you both for your insights on all this. Really appreciate it.

[E]

Paul, thanks so much and great to see you.

[D]

Marwan, thank you. Good to see you too.

[A]

And we will be right back after a short break. This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. When you visit the doctor, you probably.

[B]

Hand over your insurance, your ID and contact details.

[A]

It's just one of the many places that has your personal info and if any of them accidentally expose it, you.

[B]

Could be at risk for identity theft.

[A]

Lifelock monitors millions of data points a second. If you become a victim, they'll fix it, guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first [e-mail] podcast terms apply.

[G]

Now.

[A]

The United Arab Emirates are calling is Israel's strikes in Qatar are, quote, treacherous and a flagrant violation of Qatar's sovereignty, a serious assault on international law and the UN Charter and an irresponsible escalation that threatens regional and international security and stability. For more, we want to bring in Mina Al Arabi. She is the editor in chief of the national, the leading English language news outlet in the uae. And she joins us now from Abu Dhabi. I do want to get your first reactions from there in the region. I mean, I can still hear the screams of terror of people in Doha wondering what is going on here. It was certainly not supposed to be this a flashpoint of actual kinetic activity in the middle of an otherwise peaceful city.

[G]

Absolutely, Paula. It was shocking to see those images emerging from Doha, a very tranquil city and also one that has been at the heart of diplomacy and has always avoided confrontations. Now, to have seen it in broad daylight on a day that we were expecting mediation and talks to be taking center stage in Doha, and instead you had these attacks in the residential area of the city. There is a sense that a line has been crossed that Israel would attack a Gulf country. These countries that have worked very hard to push for agendas that are about building bridges, working towards peaceful mediation, especially, as I said, Doha has played such an important role. So there was the shock amongst residents, ordinary people, but there's also really a political shock. It feels like a political earthquake here in Gulf cities that are surprised that such an act would happen in the heart of a Gulf capital, especially given the close relations one with the United States, but also the role that they are playing in trying to calm the situation down rather than escalate it.

[A]

And again, we have to point out this was not some kind of secret operation. Everyone knew where the Hamas leadership was and where they have been for the last several months. In fact, you know, the White House is saying that, look that Benjamin Netanyahu believes that this could serve as an opportunity for peace. President Trump continues to be in touch with allies in the region, including having spoken to Qatari officials. What do you say to the White House that is now perhaps billing this as some new opportunity for peace?

[G]

More war doesn't create peace. And we've seen that in the last two years or so in the region. And to be honest, the idea that the White House would think this could be a pathway to peace is troubling because they are behind the current deal that's on the table to be negotiated. Should Hamas be put under pressure to accept the deal? Yes, but certainly so should the Israeli government that hasn't shown a real interest in coming to a mediated solution. The concern now is that not only has this attack happened in Doha, and it's very clear, the UAE's position is very clear. This is attack on the Gulf. The Saudi position is also very clear and the rest of the GCC countries and the Arab world very, very clear that this cannot be accepted, that a line has been crossed here that cannot be ignored. And then you ask, well, what then happens when actually the attack that we are hearing reports several people did die, but the leadership of Hamas that is in Qatar seems to be intact. How do you then get to the next stage of actually trying to mediate for this to be an opportunity for peace? Perhaps if pressure is put on Israel, then after this, that they have to show willingness to actually come to an agreement. And also this will mean incredible pressure on Hamas leadership itself, where even in Doha, it is not going to be.

[A]

Safe from an Israeli assassination, as you point out. Look, the condemnation in both the Arab and Muslim world has been near universal. And yet I ask you, what kind of leverage do they possibly have? How do they pull those levers when nothing seems to have worked so far? And as you point out, there is quite a line that has been crossed here in terms of an escalation.

[G]

Their leverage. Different Arab countries have different leverage. The UAE has very important leverage leverage because of its relationship not only with the United States, with Israel, with Arab countries, there's incredible amounts of coordination. Just yesterday we heard from the Minister of State of the uae, Landon Osaiba, saying that the Abraham Accords, the deal five years ago between the uae, Bahrain, Israel and later Morocco and Sudan, to try to find a pathway to peace that is now fully threatened by extremists. And when the Minister of state was said by extremists, she wasn't just referring for Hamas, she said extremists amongst Hamas leadership and amongst militants, but also extremists in Israel. And so the leverage they have is, one, the relationships. But two, also, the United States must realize that peace and prosperity in the Gulf is absolutely vital for American interests, but also global interests, and they should not be willing to let that be threatened.

[A]

How do you make sure the United States is getting that message, let alone Israel?

[G]

I'm pretty sure the United States will be getting that message loud and clear from leadership in this part of the world. Now, it's interesting that the Israelis have said that they informed the US but this was not a coordinated attack with the US So it'd be interesting to see what comes out from Washington as a consequence of this. Steve Witkoff, the Middle east envoy to the US Knows the leadership in this part of the world and Qatar and the UAE in other parts. He will be hearing directly, I think, from officials about how much of a line has been crossed, but also that moving forward, this cannot be the modus operandi of dealing with the region. So I think that message will be given not only in terms of, you know, very strong statements publicly, but privately. All the phone lines will be working now to say, how do we get to a point that, one, Qatar's sovereignty is protected, but two, that we actually can move into some serious mediation rather than, up until now, it seems to be time wasting.

[A]

Yeah. And while the White House and Netanyahu might claim this is a catalyst, I think many are skeptical, including the families of the hostages right now that are terrified and hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza City at this hour who have been told to leave but have nowhere to go, that remain safe in Gaza. So I ask you, what do you believe this strike reveals about where this conflict goes in the weeks ahead when so many in the region have so much in stake in terms of their lives and the trauma they've already suffered?

[G]

Paula, you're absolutely right. At the heart of all this is the continued suffering. Of course, the people of Gaza. We're talking about famine, we're talking about lack of any medical or basic supplies getting into Gaza. Of course, there is the continued assaults happening in the west bank and of course, the families of the hostages. The only time the hostages that have been released have been those that have come through mediation and truce deals. And so you think of the families there that have been out on the streets protesting in Israel, saying we need to get diplomatic solutions to get our families out. And the same for the people of Gaza, the amount of damage that has happened, not only in terms of death and destruction, but also malnutrition, amputees and so forth. You have 2 million people in Gaza that are suffering from collective punishment. So how do you move on from that? Well, we had the impression from the United States in the last few days that this cease fire deal was supposed to be a comprehensive deal that can move us out of the state of war. Now will Washington try to push in that direction? They really hold a lot of the main cards to be played here. And how much pressure will they put on Israel, at least behind closed doors? Publicly the White House is fully behind the Israeli government, but privately they need to now be saying we need to come to a close. This also is happening just weeks before everybody convenes in New York for the UN General assembly and talk of a recognition of a Palestinian state then being pushed by the French and Saudi Arabia and the support of the Arab world. And this is something that Israel has said that they are absolutely against, even though any long term solution has to be based on two state solution, a Palestinian and Israeli state. And it's the lives of the people, Palestine of Israel and the wider region that are at state. Let's not forget Israel also struck Syria overnight. So you've had Latakia and Homs being attacked and you had different Arab cities being struck by Israel. And of course Yemen continues to be able to send projectiles over to Israel. This continued state of war does not serve anyone in the long term. So how can we move from this point of war and continued fronts being opened by Israel to getting to a point of peace will be very difficult, especially after today's Qatar is a key mediator.

[A]

And given the difficulty that you outlined there, I only have 30 seconds left. If Qatar does in fact walk away from any kind of negotiating, who do they turn to in the region next? Is it Egypt? Is it Jordan? Who do you believe can be an honest broker here if Qatar does walk away?

[G]

I mean, Egypt has been an integral part of the mediation and there are honest brokers in the region that want to work towards peace. I think Qatar for the moment has to think of its own sovereignty and how it protects itself. But I think we'll continue to be engaged in the long term.

[A]

Okay, Mina Al Arabi in Abu Dhabi for us. We really want to thank you, appreciate it. And that's it for us for now. If you ever miss our show, you can find the latest episode shortly after it airs on our podcast. And remember, you can always catch us online on our website and all over social media. I want to thank you for watching on behalf of Krishna Manpour and everyone here. Goodbye. From New York.

[E]

News fatigue. Have I got news for you? Is the cure and also the disease. CNN's Comedy Quiz show is back, making sense of the mayhem and definitely adding to it. Have I got news for you Saturday.

[B]

At 9 on CNN.