Israel just launched airstrikes in the capital of Qatar , targeting Hamas’s political leadership. So, what happens now?

The Israeli operation is not entirely surprising. Hamas’s leaders have been dead men walking since October 7, 2023, after Hamas invaded Israel, massacred over 1,000 Israelis, and took nearly 250 more as hostages. Israel has made clear since then that it will target every Hamas leader whether inside Gaza or abroad and they have acted on that commitment.

So, this operation could be viewed as a long time coming.

Not surprising, but shocking

But an event that’s not surprising, can still be shocking. That’s how I’d describe what just happened, for three reasons:

First, Israel openly claimed credit.

The last time the Israelis targeted a Hamas leader outside of the Gaza

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