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The Israeli air assault last week on a Doha compound housing the Hamas political leadership was an extraordinary geopolitical event and will have far reaching ramifications.

This is the first time Israel has attacked a close ally of the United States. The US leadership has feigned ignorance, but the world at large does not believe Washington had no intimation. Israelis now say they had attacked Hamas, not Qatar, but no one is ready to buy that narrative.

Qatar has been a crucial interlocutor in efforts for ceasefire in Gaza along with Egypt and the US. Its role was essential because of its good working relationship with Hamas and its long mediation experience in ending international conflicts. It had earlier successfully mediated between the Afghan Taliban and the US for an end to a protracted conflict in Afghanistan. This small country has been able to play a larger-than-life role because of its sanguine leadership building an effective soft image around the globe. A globally recognized bilingual television channel, one of the world’s best airlines and the football World Cup have earned Qatar a........

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