After Israel's strike, will Qatar continue Gaza mediation? Opinion by Sansom Milton

Israel's attack this month on the Hamas negotiating team in Doha, who were gathered to discuss the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal tabled by the Trump administration, failed in its objective to wipe out the group's leadership. 

But the attack killed six people, including a Qatari security officer, and irrevocably transformed the international mediation architecture on Gaza - and notably the role of Doha, amid reports that it could suspend its mediation efforts.

Any such move would be unsurprising and justified. Qatar previously threatened to withdraw from the multi-party mediation efforts amid a deadlock last year, but talks ultimately went on, even as Israel continued bombing Gaza on a daily basis.

After the Iranian strike on al-Udeid airbase this past June, which came in response to US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran, Qatar redoubled its commitment to diplomacy, mediating a deal between Iran and Israel that has held since. 

The Israeli attack on Doha, however, is an entirely different situation. 

The highly choreographed Iranian attack in June was undertaken with Qatari foreknowledge. As analyst Kristian Coates Ulrichsen noted, Qatar "took one for the team" and helped to de-escalate the dramatic crisis.

Yet, despite claims that Qatar had advance knowledge of Israel's 9 September attack, Qatari officials say they were notified only as Israeli fighter jets were dropping their bombs.

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