Israeli defense firms barred from Dubai Expo following strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar

The United Arab Emirates has barred Israeli defense companies from participating in the Dubai Airshow this November, Ynet News reported on Wednesday. While the official Emirati reason cites “security concerns,” Israeli officials reportedly believe the decision is linked to Israel’s recent aerial strike on top Hamas leaders in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

The Dubai Airshow is a prominent international defense expo that, in recent years, has featured Israeli companies showcasing cutting-edge military technologies.

Arab and Muslim nations, including the UAE, have issued strong condemnations of the Israeli attempt to assassinate Hamas leaders in Qatar. 

UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed visited Qatar on a solidarity trip on Wednesday. Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are also expected to visit the Gulf State, which has hosted the terrorist organization Hamas’s political leadership since they were expelled from Syria in 2012. 

“The UAE stands in solidarity with Qatar and supports all measures to protect its security,” the UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed stated. While the Doha villa where the Hamas leader convened was severely damaged, it is currently unclear whether the terrorist leaders survived the strike. Israeli intelligence was initially optimistic but increasingly believes that most, if not all, Hamas leaders somehow managed to survive the attack by moving to another room in the building. 

Hamas quickly announced that its leaders had survived the attack but admitted that at least five people were killed in the Israeli strike. One of the fatalities was Humam al-Hayya, the son of Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya.

“The Israeli assassination attempt failed,” Hamas stated, but did not present any evidence that the Hamas leaders had survived the attack. 

The London-based news outlet Asharq al-Awsat reported on Wednesday that two of the Hamas leaders were injured and one of them is in critical condition. The paper, which refers to unnamed Hamas-linked sources, did not name the two injured Hamas leaders or provide details of their injuries. 

The Israeli strike on the Hamas leadership in Qatar has caused a diplomatic headache for the United States, which maintains a large naval base in the Gulf State. Furthermore, Qatar has become an important trading partner, which has invested billions of dollars in the U.S. economy. 

“I’m just not thrilled about the whole situation... We want the hostages back, but we are not thrilled about the way that went down today,” U.S. President Donald Trump told media representatives. Trump also distanced himself from the attack while stressing that the United States was not involved in the attack. 

“This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu; it was not a decision made by me,” Trump said. However, pundits argue that Israel would not have carried out the strike in Doha without at least some tacit American approval or understanding. Security sources claimed that Trump rebuked Netanyahu during a phone call on Tuesday. 

“It’s unacceptable. I demand that you do not repeat it,” Trump reportedly told Netanyahu. 

While publicly reassuring Qatar that Washington respects the Gulf state’s territorial integrity, Trump simultaneously signaled that destroying Hamas is a worthy goal that could even advance the negotiations to end the Gaza war and secure the release of the remaining 48 Israeli hostages.