Fmr. Head of IDF Intelligence on Strike Targeting Hamas Leaders in Qatar

I WANT TO ASK YOU JUST RIGHT OFF THE BAT, BLUNTLY, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE WAS BOTH THE POLITICAL AND MILITARY RATIONALE FOR THIS STRIKE?

>> IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU, PAULA.

I THINK THE MAIN ISSUE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE HEADS OF THE TERROR ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NOW MORE EXTREME WHEN THEY SIT IN A SEVEN STARS HOTEL IN QATAR AND NOT AGREEING TO THE PROPOSAL BY PLUMP THAT THEY WILL BE REMOVED AS AN OBSTACLE TO END THE WAR.

SECOND, QATAR WAS VERY UNHELPFUL IN SUPPORTING HAMAS, GIVING IT A LOT OF MONEY, WEAPONS, AND SUPPORTING IT DIPLOMATICALLY, AND WAS NOT HELPFUL ALSO IN THE NEGOTIATION.

WHICH THE U. S. AND THE EGYPTIANS WERE TRYING TO PROMOTE.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, ISRAEL HAS A DOCTRINE SINCE THE MUNICH GAMES MASSACRE THAT ANYBODY WHO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MASSACRE AND VERY MUCH IN THE 7 OF OCTOBER MASSACRE WILL BE REMOVED, WILL BE TARGETED.

ANYONE WHO PLANNED THE 7 OF OCTOBER MASSACRE AND ALL THE KILLED, ISRAELI KIDS, ISRAELI WOMEN, ISRAELI CIVILIANS, 900 OF THEM, EVERYBODY WHO PARTICIPATE WILL BE REMOVED, AND MANY THAT WERE IN QATAR WERE AMONG THEM.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, QATAR IS FINANCING A LOT OF ANTI- ISRAELI ACTIVITIES ALL OVER THE WORLD, BUT ESPECIALLY IN YOUR COUNTRY, IN THE U. S. AND IT'S TIME THAT QATAR THAT IS USING ITS MONEY AND AL JAZEERA TO SPOIL ANY POSITIVE POLITICAL PROCESS WILL ALSO PAY THE PRICE AND WILL UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE PLAYING WITH FIRE.

>> GENERAL, I HAVE TO POINT OUT THAT ISRAEL HAS BEEN NEGOTIATING WITH QATAR.

THEY HAVE USED THEM AS TRUSTWORTHY NEGOTIATORS IN THE PAST, AND THAT THE UNITED STATES AT THIS POINT IN TIME HAS BEEN LEANING ON QATAR TO TRY AND HELP THESE NEGOTIATIONS.

BUT I ALSO DO WANT TO PINT OINT OUT THAT CNN HAS SPOKEN TO FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE HOSTAGES, SAYING NOTWITHSTANDING THE FACT THAT THEY DO WANT TO SEE THE HAMAS LEADERSHIP PUNISHED, THAT THIS WAS NOT THE TIME AND THIS WAS NOT THE WAY.

>> WE'RE VERY WORRIED, VERY, VERY WORRIED.

WE DON'T KNOW WHO WILL BE NOW NEGOTIATING WITH ISRAEL ABOUT THE REMAINING HOSTAGES.

THERE ARE STILL HOSTAGES SUFFERING THERE.

I BELIEVE THAT TAKING ACTS ON HAMAS MILITARY LEADERS CAN WAIT, AND WHAT WE NOW NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON IS SAVING THE HOSTAGES.

>> GENERAL, I HAVE TO ASK YOU, IT IS SUCH A TOUGH SITUATION FOR THESE FAMILIES.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM?

THIS IS AN UNPRECEDENTED STRIKE ON A COUNTRY THAT SAYS IN GOOD FAITH THEY WERE TRYING TO GET TO THE RELEASE OF THOSE HOSTAGES.

>> MY HEART IS WITH THE FAMILIES.

I'M CALLING TO END THE WAR IN THE LAST YEAR BY FIRST BRINGING BACK ALL THE HOSTAGE S IN ONE PAUSE AND END THE WAR AND REMOVING OF HAMAS FROM GAZA.

THIS IS A GOAL THAT I SUPPORT, AND THE FAMILIES WILL AGREE FOR IT FOR SURE.

UNFORTUNATELY, I'M NOT RUNNING THE NEGOTIATION, AND PRESIDENT TRUMP, WHO IS RUNNING THE NEGOTIATION, PUT ON THE TABLE IN THE LAST THREE DAYS A PROPOSAL TO END THE WAR WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO MY PLAN.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, HAMAS LEADERS IN QATAR, UNLIKE HAMAS LEADERS IN GAZA, REFUSE TO GO ALONG THIS LINE.

SO I HOPE FOR THE FAMILIES TO SEE THEIR LOVED ONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

I WANT THIS WAR TO BE OVER AND I THINK - - >> BUT DO YOU BELIEVE THE STRIKE IS WHAT IS GOING TO BRING THOSE FAMILY MEMBERS HOME?

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THOSE FAMILIES ARE TERRIFIED.

THEY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS KIND OF A STRIKE WILL BRING THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS HOME SOONER.

HOW?

>> FUTURE WILL TELL.

NOT -- HOW?

THOSE EXTREMES IN THE HAMAS LEADERS, THOSE WHO REFUSE TO END THE WAR ALL THE TIME, THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SAY YES TO PRESIDENT TRUMP PROPOSALS ARE NOW REMOVED.

SO NOT TOMORROW, NOT THE DAY AFTER, BUT I THINK WITHIN WEEKS, WE WILL SEE THAT THE LEADERS OF HAMAS IN GAZA, WHO ARE SUFFERING WITH THE 2 MILLION PALESTINIANS IN GAZA AND WANT TO END THE WAR, BUT THOSE IN QATAR WHO REFUSE TO DO IT, I THINK NOT IN THE SHORT-RUN, BUT A LITTLE BIT AFTER THAT IN THE MID RUN, WE WILL SEE AN END TO THIS WAR IN A WAY THE FACT THAT HAMAS LEADERS LIKE THOSE WHO WERE TARGETED IN QATAR THIS MORNING WILL BE REMOVED IS A STEP FORWARD TO END THIS WAR THAT SHOULD BE ENDED ALMOST A YEAR AGO.