Hamas has been "put on notice," he said.

He also foregrounded the US-Israel partnership, despite President Donald Trump saying earlier Tuesday that he was "not thrilled" about the strike.

"We’ve never had a better friend than the White House than President Trump, and we’re united in the effort of eliminating Hamas as being a threat to peace in the Middle East," Leiter said.


2 hr 7 min ago
Why Gaza ceasefire and hostage talks are at risk after Israel's strike on Qatar
From CNN’s Mostafa Salem
Qatar is one of only two regional mediators leading the sole diplomatic track trying to bring an end to the war in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the enclave.

The country, which has strategically positioned itself as an essential back-channel mediator for global US security issues like Iran and Afghanistan, has hosted countless rounds of negotiations between Hamas and Israel, solidifying its role as a key diplomatic player in regional conflict resolution.

Qatar hosts thousands of US troops at Al Udeid, mgmarket4 the Middle East’s largest American military base, while also allowing Hamas’ political bureau to operate in Doha, which Qatar maintains was established at Washington’s request a decade ago to facilitate indirect communication channels.

Yesterday’s strike on Qatar is the first publicly acknowledged strike on a Gulf state by Israel, placing the only diplomatic path working toward a Gaza ceasefire at risk and placing greater concern from Gulf Arab states over security commitments from the US, an analyst told CNN.