Israel attempted to kill senior members of Hamas in an airstrike in Qatar this week. This led to a sharp escalation that brought the Mideast into the brink of yet another war. This was the first time that Israel struck a close American ally and more importantly one of the primary mediators who is involved in negotiations between Israel and Hamas to end the conflict in Gaza. The Israeli strike happened on a Hamas meeting, where the terror group was discussing a cease-fire proposal backed by US President Donald Trump. It happened in a residential complex even as the officials had gathered there for negotiations over the Gaza war. The direct attack on Qatar’s territory also risked antagonizing the government and destabilizing its diplomatic efforts. n18oc_world n18oc_crux