The attack, aimed at senior Hamas leaders residing in Qatar, marked the first known Israeli strike on Gulf soil. Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani denounced the strike as “cowardly and treacherous,” accusing Israel of betraying ongoing mediation efforts. Yet Gulf monarchies that publicly protested may have privately breathed a sigh of relief. Europe was rocked by the 2022 “Qatargate” affair, when investigators found bags of cash allegedly used to bribe European Parliament members. The Doha strike thus encapsulates the Middle East’s shifting balance: Israel and Gulf monarchies converging, Qatar and Turkey isolated, and Washington caught in the middle.