Even so, the gap between the positions of the United States, Israel and Hamas remained wide. One key determinant is when and how the United States became aware of the Israeli intention to attack Hamas in Qatar. If so, the United States may not have given the green light for the attack. US credibility in the Gulf, which relies on the United States for its security, will likely ride on how it responds to the Israeli attack. Ms. Leavitt’s carefully crafted statement asserted that the Israeli attack served neither US nor Israeli interests.