With the Doha strike, Netanyahu has declared war on the world

And so Israel has struck again.

On Tuesday, the Middle East’s favourite perennial aggressor launched missiles against the Qatari capital of Doha, targeting Hamas leaders involved in negotiations surrounding a proposal from the United States for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli genocide of Palestinians has officially killed more than 64,000 people in less than two years.

To be sure, Israel has never been a fan of ceasefires – even ones proposed by the reigning global hegemon and most devout backer of Israeli atrocities. After all, the state’s very existence is predicated on wiping out Palestinians and engaging in unceasing belligerence.

And while anyone harbouring an iota of common sense will have long regarded Israel as a rogue state, the unprecedented attack on Qatar appears to have opened some international eyes with regard to just how out of control the Israeli government actually is.

For instance, world powers like Britain, France, and India – which have to varying degrees enabled the genocide in Gaza, among other acts of terror by the Israeli military across the region – have managed to muster uncharacteristic condemnation following the Doha strike.

This is not to imply, of course, that targeting Hamas leaders in a country that happens to host the largest US military base in the Middle East is somehow more morally appalling than slaughtering tens of thousands of people in Gaza, most of them women and children.

It is simply to observe that even apologists for Israel’s genocidal recklessness seem to have drawn a new red line – which is that the Israelis can’t simply go around bombing people and places as they see fit.

Following the strike on Doha, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt announced that “unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals”.

Lest we rush to accord any sense of logic or reason to the current White House, Leavitt went on to add the disclaimer: “However, eliminating Hamas, who have profited off the misery of those living in Gaza, is a worthy goal.”