The outrage over Israel's attack in Qatar continues.

According to Germany, France, and Great Britain, Israel risked escalating tensions in the Middle East with its surprise airstrike in Qatar. Tuesday's attack in the capital, Doha, violated Qatar's sovereignty and risked "further escalation in the region," according to a joint statement released by the government in London on Friday. On the same day, US President Donald Trump reportedly hosted Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for dinner.

The Gulf emirate is an ally of the United States. Both countries, along with Egypt, are acting as mediators in the Gaza war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas. The United States is also an ally of Israel. Trump expressed regret over Israel's surprise airstrike in Qatar. A "unilateral bombing within Qatar, a sovereign state and a close ally of the United States," served neither Israel nor America's goals, according to a statement delivered by Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

Against this backdrop, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is traveling to Israel today. There, he will clearly outline the US priorities in the Gaza war and reaffirm his country's commitment to Israel's security, his department announced. Rubio will also meet with the families of the hostages held by Hamas. Their release remains the US's top priority.

The Israeli Air Force attempted to attack the Hamas leadership in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Tuesday. According to Hamas, the attack failed, and no member of the Hamas negotiating delegation was killed. However, six people were killed.

Israel's attack poses "a serious threat" to a potential agreement that would secure the release of all hostages and end the Gaza war, said the statement by the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Great Britain. "The ministers urge all parties to renew and intensify their efforts toward an immediate ceasefire." They supported Qatar's important role in the mediation efforts.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Israel's attack was carried out with long-range missiles fired from fighter jets over the Red Sea at Doha. The strike was planned to avoid the airspace of Arab states and allow for a swift strike. The Trump administration was given little opportunity to object, according to several senior US officials.

According to the newspaper, Trump subsequently had a heated phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump was angry that he had only been informed of the attack by the US military during Israel's attack, rather than by Israel itself, and that the attack had struck Qatar, the territory of a US ally that was mediating negotiations to end the Gaza war, it was reported.

According to the Washington Post, Israel's foreign intelligence agency, the Mossad, refused to implement a plan developed in recent weeks to deploy agents on the ground to kill Hamas leaders. Mossad Director David Barnea opposed the move, among other reasons, because such an action could jeopardize the relationship he and his agency had built with the Qataris, according to two Israelis familiar with the matter.

In July 2024, the Mossad killed Hamas's then foreign chief and supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, with a remote-detonated bomb in a residence during a visit to the Iranian capital, Tehran. This time, the Mossad was unwilling to take such action, especially since Qatar was seen as an important mediator in the talks with Hamas, the US newspaper quoted one of its sources as saying. "We'll get them (the Hamas leaders) in one, two, or four years, and the Mossad knows how to do it," another source told the paper, adding: "Why now?"

Israel's actions also continue to cause discontent in the Arab world. A special summit of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) planned for this Sunday and Monday in Qatar is expected to focus on finding a common stance toward Israel. Before the meeting of monarchs, heads of state, and government, a preparatory summit at the foreign ministers level will take place on Sunday, Qatar's state agency QNA reported. The OIC is made up of 57 predominantly Muslim states.

Meanwhile, the government of the United Arab Emirates summoned Israel's deputy ambassador. The Foreign Ministry in Abu Dhabi condemned Israel's airstrike as a "shameless and cowardly attack."

Meanwhile, a rocket fired from Yemen triggered an alert in Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel overnight. The army reported that the missile had been intercepted. There were initially no reports of injuries or major damage. In the days prior, Israeli air defenses had been activated due to drone attacks and a rocket fired from Yemen.

Since the beginning of the Gaza War in October 2023, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked Israel with rockets and drones—they claim to be an expression of their solidarity with Hamas. In return, Israel attacks targets in Yemen, 2,000 kilometers away, which they claim are linked to Houthis' military activities.