Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar shatters Gulf’s faith in US protection

<p>The attack in Doha upended a decades-old assumption – and left Arab leaders questioning how much they can still rely on Washington</p><p>On Thursday, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, led a funeral at the state mosque. Flanked by officials in white thobes, he prayed over six caskets – one draped in a Qatari flag and five bearing Palestinian flags.</p><p>Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Doha on Tuesday, which also killed a Qatari officer, marked an unprecedented moment for the Gulf kingdom. The attack undercut the assumption that has underpinned Qatari foreign policy for three decades and reverberated across the Arab region: be useful to the United States, and it will protect you.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/12/israels-strike-on-hamas-leaders-in-qatar-shatters-gulfs-faith-in-us-protection">Continue reading...</a>