Both Israel and the US had expressed commitments to Qatar last week that Hamas terrorists would not be harmed on Qatari soil, Washington Post journalist David Ignatius reported on Wednesday, citing sources in Israel and the US.

According to the report, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir stated on August 31 that “the bulk of Hamas’s ruling leadership that remains is abroad, and we will reach them too.”

Qatar expressed concerns about Zamir’s comments, and senior Mossad officials promised that Israel will not carry out a strike on its soil.

The report quoted a Qatari official as saying that the strike was a “total surprise.”

Following the strike, Israeli media reported that the Mossad was opposed to the attack.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani was quoted on the front page of the Qatari daily Al-Sharq as saying, “We will take all measures against this criminal attack. This reckless assault is a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and security.”

BBC reported on Wednesday that Qatar is considering pursuing international legal action against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu over the strike.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)