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Five Takeaways on Netanyahu’s Moves after Qatar Strike

Five Takeaways on Netanyahu’s Moves after Qatar Strike
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Five Takeaways on Netanyahu’s Moves after Qatar Strike

Five Takeaways on Netanyahu’s Moves after Qatar Strike

Many details of Israel’s attempt to assassinate Hamas leaders in Qatar will become clearer once the full results emerge.

But even as Israeli officials began acknowledging disappointment that Hamas’ leadership survived, they stressed the operation was meant to yield “deterrence gains” and pointed to what they call the “Munich approach,” a doctrine dating back to 1972 when Israel hunted down members of the Palestinian Black September group behind the killing of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics.

Today, more than half a century later and after over 63,000 deaths in Gaza, Israel says it is striking back for the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led assault.

‘Munich in our era’

Israeli leaders hailed the Doha raid as a precision mission before its outcome became clear, comparing it to the killings of Hezbollah commanders and Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers. They spoke of “surgical strikes” involving 15 fighter jets, refueling aircraft, and precision-guided munitions.

But after Hamas declared its leaders had survived, Israeli officials shifted to urging patience while DNA tests confirmed casualties, before admitting privately to frustration. Military commentators framed the setback as a tactical hiccup while still claiming strategic benefits: Hamas leaders, they argued, would now feel hunted and restricted.

Former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar reportedly described the operation as “Munich in our era,” echoing Golda Meir’s 1972 order to eliminate those behind the Olympic attack. Netanyahu, for his part, said Israel had targeted Hamas leaders “in the same place they celebrated October 7” - a statement contradicted by evidence that the group’s thanksgiving prayers took place in Türkiye, not Qatar.

A pre-approved hit list

According to Israeli media, the decision to assassinate Hamas’ top echelon was taken on Oct. 8, 2023. The Shin Bet was tasked with the campaign, which began with the killing of Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut, followed by Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya al-Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Mohammed al-Sinwar.

Last week, army chief Eyal Zamir warned Hamas leaders abroad they would not be safe. Shortly after, Netanyahu ordered the Doha strike once intelligence indicated Hamas figures were meeting in the Qatari capital. Some senior officials, including the army’s representative to hostage talks, opposed the timing, fearing it would derail negotiations over Israeli captives. Netanyahu overruled them.

Multiple objectives

Analysts say the Qatar operation was designed to achieve several goals: reinforcing Israel’s image as the dominant military power in the Middle East, showcasing its reach against adversaries from Hezbollah to the Houthis

US angle and blame game

Netanyahu initially claimed the Doha strike was an exclusively Israeli operation, a line Israeli officials said was pressed by Washington to limit American exposure. US officials, according to Israeli leaks, were briefed but later distanced themselves once Arab outrage spread.

Seeking to deflect responsibility for the mission’s failure, Netanyahu’s allies suggested US President Donald Trump tipped off Qatar about the raid, allowing Hamas leaders to flee moments before the bombs hit.

Political fallout

Israeli sources now fear Trump could use the episode to recalibrate his Arab diplomacy, potentially demanding concessions from Netanyahu to reassure allies like Qatar that Washington does not condone strikes on their soil. Such a shift could revive pressure for a ceasefire and political talks.

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Arab World

Israeli Army Says Soldier Killed in Southern Lebanon

18 April 2026, Lebanon, ---: A general view of the heavily damaged area in southern Lebanon following Israeli strikes. (dpa)
18 April 2026, Lebanon, ---: A general view of the heavily damaged area in southern Lebanon following Israeli strikes. (dpa)
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Israeli Army Says Soldier Killed in Southern Lebanon

18 April 2026, Lebanon, ---: A general view of the heavily damaged area in southern Lebanon following Israeli strikes. (dpa)
18 April 2026, Lebanon, ---: A general view of the heavily damaged area in southern Lebanon following Israeli strikes. (dpa)

Israel's military said on Sunday that a soldier died during combat in southern Lebanon, where a temporary ceasefire had come into effect this week.

"Lidor Porat, aged 31, from Ashdod, a soldier in the 7106th Battalion, 769th Regional Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon," the Israeli military said in a statement, without providing further details.

The total Israeli army death toll in the six-week war between Israel and Hezbollah was now 15, according to an AFP tally based on military figures.

It was the second death announced by Israel of a soldier in southern Lebanon since the start of a ten-day truce announced by the United States began on Friday -- part of wider efforts to bring a permanent end to the Middle East war.

The latest round of fighting in Lebanon -- one of the fronts in the regional war -- had begun on March 2 when Tehran-backed Hezbollah launched rocket attacks on Israel to avenge the death of its supreme leader in the opening wave of Israeli-US strikes on Iran.

Israel then responded with a strikes it said targeted Hezbollah in Beirut and the southern parts of the country where it had also launched a ground operation.

Arab World

Israel Intensifies Ceasefire Violations, Destroying and Burning Occupied Lebanese Villages

Residents walk on the rubble of destroyed houses on the second day of a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in Jibchit village, south Lebanon, Saturday, April 18, 2026.(AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
Residents walk on the rubble of destroyed houses on the second day of a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in Jibchit village, south Lebanon, Saturday, April 18, 2026.(AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
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Israel Intensifies Ceasefire Violations, Destroying and Burning Occupied Lebanese Villages

Residents walk on the rubble of destroyed houses on the second day of a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in Jibchit village, south Lebanon, Saturday, April 18, 2026.(AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)
Residents walk on the rubble of destroyed houses on the second day of a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in Jibchit village, south Lebanon, Saturday, April 18, 2026.(AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Israeli violations of the US-brokered ceasefire on the Lebanon front continue, as military operations and airstrikes persist against targets Israel claims are affiliated with Hezbollah. This has forced residents who had returned to some southern villages to leave again immediately, fearing a rapid return to fighting.

The yellow line

These violations coincide with the Israeli army’s announcement of the creation of a “yellow line” in southern Lebanon, similar to the one in Gaza, effectively preventing residents from returning to 55 Lebanese towns located within this line.

On Saturday, the Israeli army said it had established a separating “yellow line” in southern Lebanon, similar to the line dividing its forces from areas controlled by Hamas in Gaza. It stated that it had targeted suspected militants who approached its forces along this line.

The army said that over the past 24 hours, its forces operating south of the yellow line had identified individuals it described as militants who violated the ceasefire and approached from the north of the line in what it called a direct threat. This marked the first reference to the line since the ceasefire took effect.

It added that its forces struck those individuals in several areas of southern Lebanon immediately after detecting them, in order to eliminate the threat, stressing that it is authorized to act against threats despite the ceasefire.

In this context, military and security expert Brig. Gen. Fadi Daoud told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Israeli security line is unofficial but effectively constitutes a dangerous point of friction. He said it is known in the field as the Israeli technical line along the Lebanon-Israel border. It is not an internationally recognized boundary but a security measure imposed by Israel that extends beyond the Blue Line and is used to impose facts on the ground, and could quickly trigger clashes.

An unstable situation

Amid the developments imposed by the recent war, it has become difficult to quantify Israeli violations, as UNIFIL forces are unable to enter towns under full Israeli control. A security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that violations are not limited to artillery shelling, drone strikes, or clashes with Hezbollah fighters, but also include the deliberate booby-trapping and complete demolition of homes under the pretext of destroying the group’s infrastructure.

The source described the situation in the south as unstable, warning of concerns about a return to a cycle of fighting. The source added that the Lebanese side had been monitoring developments through the mechanism committee, but the committee is currently not in place, leaving no mechanism to address new Israeli attacks.

On the ground, one person was killed in the town of Kounine and others were wounded by a suspicious object believed to be a cluster munition left over from Israeli bombardment, just hours after the ceasefire came into effect. Artillery shelling continues to be heard in several villages in the central sector, while Israeli forces fired bursts of gunfire toward the town of Aitaroun.

Field reports indicate that the town of Khiam continues to come under artillery fire. Israeli forces have also carried out demolitions in Khiam, Qantara, Shamaa, Bint Jbeil, and Bayyada. Explosions and sweeping fire were also reported in the vicinity of Bint Jbeil.

Two tracks of operations in the south

The ceasefire terms, which took effect at midnight between Thursday and Friday, have imposed a new and more difficult reality compared with the cessation of hostilities agreement reached between Lebanon and Israel on November 27, 2024.

Daoud said Israeli operations south of the Litani River are proceeding along two parallel tracks aimed at establishing a new reality on the ground. The first track involves efforts by the Israeli army to entrench its presence in villages it has taken control of, alongside continuing a policy of widespread destruction similar to what it previously carried out in Gaza.

He said the Israeli army is focusing on demolishing buildings in villages it controls in the first and second defensive lines, uprooting trees including olive trees, and setting forests on fire to turn them into completely scorched areas. He added that Israel is also clearing the rubble of destroyed homes and transporting it for recycling, indicating an intention to fundamentally alter the nature of the area.

The battle for Bint Jbeil

The second track centers, according to Daoud, on the battle for Bint Jbeil. He said the battle has two main dimensions: a symbolic one, as Hezbollah has called the city the “capital of the resistance,” and a strategic one due to its geographic location near the border, allowing whoever controls it to influence both northern Israel and southern Lebanon.

The importance of Bint Jbeil is not limited to symbolism but extends to its surroundings. Daoud said controlling the city effectively means controlling surrounding roads and towns, as it provides a tactical advantage that allows fire control over the northeastern and western sectors of the area. He added that operations inside Bint Jbeil will continue regardless of the ceasefire.

He also suggested that if a US green light is given, Israel may continue operations under what is described as “low-intensity warfare” or guerrilla-style operations, aimed at completing control over remaining Hezbollah positions in the city.

Daoud stressed that Israel’s less visible operations reflect a scorched-earth policy, turning occupied towns south of the Litani into fully devastated areas, mirroring the operational pattern seen in Gaza.

Arab World

Lebanon President, PM Discuss Readiness for Israel Talks

Vehicles line up as displaced people make their way to return to their homes after a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Sidon, Lebanon, April 18, 2026. REUTERS/Aziz Taher
Vehicles line up as displaced people make their way to return to their homes after a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Sidon, Lebanon, April 18, 2026. REUTERS/Aziz Taher
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Lebanon President, PM Discuss Readiness for Israel Talks

Vehicles line up as displaced people make their way to return to their homes after a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Sidon, Lebanon, April 18, 2026. REUTERS/Aziz Taher
Vehicles line up as displaced people make their way to return to their homes after a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Sidon, Lebanon, April 18, 2026. REUTERS/Aziz Taher

Lebanon's president and prime minister discussed on Saturday preparations for the first direct negotiations with Israel in decades, as southerners headed home after the ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war.

In a statement, the office of President Joseph Aoun said he and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam conducted "an assessment of the post-ceasefire phase and the ongoing efforts to consolidate it", and discussed "Lebanese readiness for the anticipated negotiations" with Israel.

Their meeting came a day after a strongly-worded speech to the nation from Aoun stating that the country was entering a new phase to work on "permanent agreements" with Israel and insisting that direct talks were not a "concession" -- an apparent rebuttal of Hezbollah criticism.

The 10-day ceasefire seeking to end more than six weeks of war between Hezbollah and Israel has been in place since midnight on Thursday (2100 GMT) after being announced by US President Donald Trump.

More than 2,300 people have been killed in Israeli attacks and more than a million displaced since Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the Middle East conflict last month.

Iran-backed Hezbollah and its supporters strongly oppose the negotiations, and have rejected several government decisions over the past year, including Beirut's commitment to disarming the group in 2025.

As the truce entered its second day, displaced people were still flocking to the south, which saw the brunt of the fighting, with roads packed with cars.

Lebanon's military and other local bodies are working to open roads that were blocked due to Israeli strikes.

In the heavily bombed southern suburbs of Beirut, families came to inspect their homes and grab belongings, though neighborhoods in the area remained largely empty, according to an AFP correspondent, with people hesitant to return.

Among the residents briefly visiting was Samah Hajoul, who is currently staying in a tent on Beirut's seafront.

"We do not feel safe to return, for fear that something might happen at night and I would not be able to carry my children and flee with them," she told AFP.

She only visited her home, which sustained minor damage, to "bathe the children and get summer clothes" as temperatures started to rise.

"We will wait and see what happens during the days of the truce. If the ceasefire is consolidated, we will return to our homes," she added, saying that dozens of families staying in nearby tents were doing the same.

During his meeting with Aoun, Salam expressed hope that "the displaced will be able to return safely to their homes as soon as possible after the ceasefire holds".

He stressed that the government was working to "facilitate this return, especially by repairing the destroyed bridges, opening roads, and providing supplies in the areas where the return will be safe and possible".