Qatar could be bombed again and Hamas leaders killed, Israeli ambassador to US implies

Israel could bomb Qatar again to target senior Hamas leaders in the country, Israel's ambassador to the United States implied in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday.

Yechiel Leiter's comments come just a day after Israel bombed buildings in a busy residential area in Doha at four pm local time, triggering shockwaves around the region.

The attack drew widespread condemnation from leaders and activists around the world, who urged for Israel to be held accountable for its actions.

Leiter said the attack, which failed to kill Hamas' top brazz, would succeed next time.

"If we didn't get them this time, we'll get them the next time," Leiter said.

He further brushed off the denunciation and scathing criticism Israel has since faced, saying: "Right now, we may be subject to a little bit of criticism. They'll get over it. And Israel is being changed for the better".

Israel’s attack on Tuesday killed six people, while US President Donald Trump said he was "very unhappy" about it.

The attack struck Doha as mediators were discussing the terms of the Gaza ceasefire deal. Qatar has since maintained that it will continue working on attempting to secure a truce deal in Gaza, where Israel has killed over 60,000 Palestinians.

Arab states have said the attack by Israel violates international law, and have rallied to support Qatar.

Qatar on Wednesday sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres regarding the Israeli aggression.

According to Qatar’s News Agency (QNA), the letter was delivered by Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Said al-Thani, the permanent representative of the state of Qatar to the UN.

Qatar has since called for the letter to be circulated to Security Council members and issued as an official document. It further issued a strong condemnation of the "criminal attack, which constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms and is a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents on its territory".

The comments from Leiter come as Israel continued carrying out strikes on Yemen’s capital Sanaa, with reports stating that Tel Aviv targeted command centres belonging to the Houthis.

The health ministry in Yemen said nine people have been killed and 118 were wounded in the strikes so far.