Updated

On 13 September 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party publicly pushed back against criticism from US envoy Jared Kushner over Israel's strike targeting Hamas figures in Doha, Qatar, according to The Times of Israel's live coverage. Likud insisted the operation had been successful and argued that it had helped bring about the release of hostages, rejecting the suggestion that it damaged diplomacy. The exchange placed a rare public rift between the Israeli government and a senior figure in the US administration on display. The Doha strike had strained Israel's relations with Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, and drew criticism from partners who said it risked collapsing the negotiating channel. The Likud response reflected the political stakes for Netanyahu, who has defended the operation domestically as proof of Israel's long reach against Hamas leaders abroad. The spat is significant mainly as a sign of friction within the US-Israeli relationship over how far Israel can go against Hamas's political leadership in third countries.