Israeli attack on Qatar has Arab countries questioning US guarantees
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The Israeli strike on a residential area in Doha has raised doubts about the validity of US security guarantees for allies in the region, per CNN's Paula Hancocks
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Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani gestures as he attends a press conference in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, October 24, 2024. (Nathan Howard/Pool Photo via AP)
The Israeli attack on Qatar left it, and surrounding Arab nations, betrayed and abandoned by its close allies in Washington, CNN's Paula Hancocks wrote in an analysis piece.
She states that the strike on a residential building targeting the Hamas delegation hours before they were expected to deliver a response to a new US-led ceasefire and captive deal crumbled the progress made over the past 23 months of war.
The CNN writer reflects on the words of Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who strongly condemned the strike as “state terror,” in an interview with CNN, and accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of killing “any hope” for the Israeli captives and undermining “any chance of peace.”
Hancocks states that the Israeli attack shocked Qatari officials, who had believed their strong ties with Washington and the presence of the massive Al Udeid US airbase in the country would shield them from such a strike.
Al Thani also called for Netanyahu to be “brought to justice,” accusing him of breaking “every international law.” Hancocks states that his comments reflect growing frustration in Doha, which has long played a mediating role between Hamas and "Israel".
She states that the sense of shock and betrayal is palpable in Doha, highlighting that the language used by the prime minister is "strong, evocative, and damning," noting it to be different from Al Thani's regular level-headed response to what has happened in the past 23 months of war in Gaza.
US security guarantees questioned across the Gulf
The CNN writer says that the attack on Doha raised serious questions across the Gulf regarding the reliability of US security commitments. She highlights that despite being home to the largest American military base in the region, Qatar was unable to avoid an Israeli strike.
“Those nations will be wondering what they can do in order to deter future attacks, but also, what sort of security architecture they need to now invest in instead of relying on a partner that hasn’t been able to protect them even from one of its own allies,” said HA Hellyer of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Hancocks notes that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar collectively pledged trillions in investment deals with Washington during Donald Trump’s presidency, under the assumption that the US would provide security guarantees. The latest strike, however, has left those assumptions shaken.
Regional mediation efforts at risk after strike
Hancocks states that the Israeli attack threatens to undermine Qatar’s role as a key mediator in the war on Gaza. Alongside Egypt, Doha has hosted indirect talks with Hamas and "Israel," while Oman, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have engaged in mediation efforts in other conflicts.
Reflecting on what analysts say, Hancocks states that risks faced by Qatar may discourage other regional states from taking a similar role.
Hasan Alhasan, Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, noted, “this is the kind of risk not many countries in the region will be willing to stomach in return for a mediating role.”
The CNN writer says that while Qatar has not formally abandoned its mediating efforts, the talks are now in limbo, with regional leaders closely watching Washington’s response and its willingness to rein in "Israel."
She says that the attack has only strengthened a long-held belief in the region that "Israel" seeks to sabotage peace efforts and eliminate any chance of negotiated settlements.
