Israel has effectively burned the diplomatic playbook for the Gaza war. A strike in Doha targeting the very Hamas officials responsible for negotiation has left only military options on the table, destroying the last possibility of a peace deal. This act signals a new, uncompromising phase of the conflict.
The Doha talks, with American backing, were the final, fragile chapter in a long story of failed diplomatic efforts. They were a nod to the reality that a political solution was likely unavoidable. The strike is a violent tearing out of that chapter, an assertion that the story will now have a military ending.
The message to Hamas is one of utter finality: there will be no negotiated exit. Your only options are to capitulate or be destroyed. This hardline approach is a gamble to force a quick surrender but risks inciting a more ferocious and prolonged resistance from an enemy with its back against the wall.
The entire framework for peace has now collapsed. Qatar’s mediation is in ruins, and no other diplomatic avenue is in sight. The strike has intentionally created a situation with no peaceful way out, ensuring the conflict will grind on, with devastating consequences for all involved, especially civilians.
