The strike in Doha that targeted senior Hamas leaders marks a decisive rupture in the fragile framework of diplomacy that had been holding together attempts to end the Gaza war. For nearly two years, Qatar had positioned itself as the one arena where dialogue ~ however strained ~ remained possible. Its reputation as a neutral space for adversaries to negotiate gave all parties a sense of insulation. That shield has now been pierced. The men attacked were not battlefield commanders but negotiators engaged in discussions over proposals to end hostilities and release hostages.

Whatever Israel’s military logic, the timing and location of the strike sends a different message: diplomacy itself is expendable if it stands in the way of maximum military pressure. Even more than the deaths, it is the symbolic destruction of the negotiating table that carries lasting consequences. The regional and global ripples are immediate.........

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